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chrome.exe

Program Setup

Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.)

The application chrome.exe by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria) 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 installCore installer. The setup program uses the InstallCore engine which may bundle additional software offers including toolbars and browser extensions. With this installer, users are expecting to download Google's Chrome web browser but before that occurs they may be presented with additional offers, mostly potentially unwanted software or adware.
Publisher:
SecuredDownload  (signed by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.))

Product:
Program Setup

Version:
1.0.5.a0.1_58854

MD5:
b37cb2269aec0abe0d8327e1d52ce1ea

SHA-1:
e0b3fe1b8495b4423ff17a12317d7890d922d66b

SHA-256:
2a3e5f5053c81886e06634b1029abcef78dea636ae26c54a4a2dcc5a7eefe096

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
Uses the InstallCore download manager to install additional potentially unwanted software which may include extensions such as DealPly and various toolbars.

Description:
This is also known as bundleware, or downloadware, which is an downloader designed to simply deliver ad-supported offers in the setup routine of an otherwise legitimate software.

Analysis date:
4/13/2025 1:50:20 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.InstallCore.AC (M)
17.3.16.2

File size:
933.7 KB (956,152 bytes)

Product version:
1.0.5.a0.1_58854

Copyright:
SecuredDownload

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\{random}\chrome.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.)

Authority:
GlobalSign nv-sa

Valid from:
1/6/2016 2:41:47 PM

Valid to:
8/4/2016 5:23:54 PM

Subject:
CN=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), O=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), L=Tel Aviv, C=IL

Issuer:
CN=GlobalSign CodeSigning CA - SHA256 - G2, O=GlobalSign nv-sa, C=BE

Serial number:
1121DC9E5F7E1CC5DF0CA4ED082CF7EB9D86

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/20/1992 12:22:17 AM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

Entry address:
0xA5F8

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, CE, 8A, FF, FF, E8, D5, 9C, FF, FF, E8, 64, 9F, FF, FF, E8, 07, A0, FF, FF, E8, A6, BF, FF, FF, E8, 11, E9, FF, FF, E8, 78, EA, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, C9, AC, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 92, AC, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 26, F5, FF, FF, E8, 11, F1, FF, FF, 80, 3D, 34, B2, 40, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 23, F6, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, C4, 97, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, B6, C5, FF, FF, 8B, 55...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9355

Packer / compiler:
Inno Setup v5.x - Installer Maker

Code size:
39.5 KB (40,448 bytes)

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

http://www.cycleheartcentral.com/c?x=HlLnW5Z8P6W45oqSOnovaqgA8ZlUiVZjFKF1gQ132OM=&c=oaLQmpW60SUyHcfwq1Wt0ck313vccuVNSLYXvFmLNIGXdXDnSrLKFqrNQpR1oUiVQ 0WdjAf7OkOXMVTx6BEdvr28YGTHZm4SSRE744qmUev7rBzlwh5vd1vRby5GA2P&downloadAs=chrome.exe&fallback_url=http://ddxserverneu.com/softwares/.../ChromeStandaloneSetup_34.0.1847.116.exe

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