avast_setup.exe

Avast Antivirus Free

Download Assistant

This is part of the Air Installer, a download manager which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application avast_setup.exe by Download Assistant has been detected as adware by 1 anti-malware scanner with very strong indications that the file is a potential threat. The program is a setup application that uses the AirInstaller Download Manager installer. The installer is marketed through download protals and search ads as the free AVAST Antivirus but will also install additional software offers which include adware, PUPs and browser toolbars.
Publisher:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
Avast Antivirus Free

Version:
3.0.0.156

MD5:
dcc0491c5b0882e2d7a157bc372623df

SHA-1:
7087c5e6b876192f0c35b26d82ee56d476dca905

SHA-256:
53dd6abf47c67e6b5b5367cd2e9a561d60f57d5b64313afcbcebad6c864a1122

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Adware

Note:
Our current pool of anti-malware engines have not currently detected this file, however based on our own detection heuristics we feel that this file is unwanted.

Description:
This is an installer which may bundle legitimate applications with offers for additional 3rd-party applications that may be unwanted by the user. While the installer contains an 'opt-out' feature this is not set be defult and is usually overlooked.

Analysis date:
1/4/2025 8:18:21 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.5.19.7

File size:
1.1 MB (1,144,360 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.156

Copyright:
(c) Download Assistant

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\inetcache\ie\{random}\avast_setup.exe

Digital Signature
Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
5/3/2016 1:00:00 AM

Valid to:
8/2/2017 12:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Download Assistant, O=Download Assistant, L=Victoria, S=British Columbia, C=CA

Issuer:
CN=Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA, OU=Symantec Trust Network, O=Symantec Corporation, C=US

Serial number:
088066A3A015128F544F3E16DC53BCE8

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 2:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:oxGn0d4IOrP1V8OrNRo0AARqgl70m3AWtlIhEJak6:N0y1P1V8QRo0b+PEJak6

Entry address:
0x113BC

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, A4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, C4, 89, 45, C0, 89, 45, A4, 89, 45, D0, 89, 45, C8, 89, 45, CC, 89, 45, D4, 89, 45, D8, 89, 45, EC, B8, 2C, 00, 41, 00, E8, E8, 51, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, 9E, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 5A, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 48, 5B, 41, 00, E8, 16, D8, FF, FF, E8, 65, D3, FF, FF, 80, 3D, DC, 2A, 41, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 2B, D9, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, 80, 32, FF, FF, 8D, 55, EC, 33, C0, E8, E2, A3, FF, FF, 8B, 55, EC, B8, 50, 86...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.9716

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

The file avast_setup.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

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