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chrome_install.exe

Google Chrome

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 chrome_install.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. 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:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
Google Chrome

Version:
3.0.0.153

MD5:
f0780c1bf0dd3c678b5a8743b6fee0f2

SHA-1:
78628e4327fc385011cdc52eb5a07608a3da68cd

SHA-256:
62baedc1ad701b81249bc36a6c338ae7f3a56293861275a6f9f2f595bfae5bbd

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 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:
1/13/2025 4:41:49 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software (M)
16.7.31.13

File size:
1.1 MB (1,134,960 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.153

Copyright:
(c) Download Assistant

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
Nezavisno od jezika

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

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
1/26/2016 1:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/27/2017 1:59:59 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:
1278A8BBE7E82E656B1FD4779E9BC2F0

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 3:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:+xGXiVQp+LVWVOuzSgtjQG+vbt4StOQvu5sGjD9ZZKfcL0eAEJakN:DSBWtSgt+x4StOAu5NrbwEJakN

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...
 
[+]

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

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

http://files.free-browser.net/v2/click/3f1001e5/?d=http://download.free-browser.co/chrome/chrome_setup_en.exe&key=5ec8115742f2bc078c6d2d249369dc0e6a5cbfea79c4c98c1be3785e9e27fc66&sid=CHROME_2016&uid=2ANALYTICS56e5a3e668bf3&affiliate_image=&product_image=http://www.free-browser.co/graphics/chrome/chrome_product_image.png&n=Google Chrome&filename=chrome_install&done_url=http://free-browser.co/.../&cancel_url=http://free-browser.co/.../?error=1

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