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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:
3.0.0.154

MD5:
e45761b60f0d7a7f3fe58765082acd97

SHA-1:
af90bcf74e2d4aaee57219d477fd4df2137e3f2e

SHA-256:
1bc1f72758c50e158d80b6b0ff013e179624796b40ec5f222990bcb04b4f2736

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 5:03:22 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software (M)
16.7.17.6

File size:
1.1 MB (1,143,880 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.154

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}\chrome_install.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
1/26/2016 6:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/27/2017 5:59:59 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 8:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:cxGHeUkUUfZqc00efKbg6ewToCv9AG+dp3bB8p5ZfhekiwOIbDhUEJaka:hTkUIkVJybgvwPIB8/1hkwNeEJaka

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:
6.9711

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_2015&uid=2ANALYTICS56ea87fc5b9b2&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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