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ContentExplorer.exe

Lake Ventures LLC

This adware bundler is distributed through Adknowledge's advertising supported software managers. The application ContentExplorer.exe by Lake Ventures has been detected as adware by 2 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Adknowledge Fusion installer. It is set to automatically start when a user logs into Windows via the current user run registry key under the display name ‘ContentExplorer’. This file is typically installed with the program ContentExplorer by Lake Ventures LLC which is a potentially unwanted software program.
Publisher:
ContentExplorer  (signed by Lake Ventures LLC)

Product:
ContentExplorer

Version:
8.0

MD5:
ac9378155c9b44581b18dc379318b80f

SHA-1:
0b71301547ae67591884cef2649ca57a586650b2

SHA-256:
a46356bbe16b1c4dd9af7bb60e26002e9fd4c341c0bed377a553b6725a98e924

Scanner detections:
2 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
This installer bundles various adware prorgams that may include toolbars and web browser advertising injectors/extensions.

Description:
This 'download manager' is also considered bundleware, a utility designed to download software (possibly legitimate or opensource) and bundle it with a number of optional offers including ad-supported utilities, toolbars, shopping comparison tools and browser extensions.

Analysis date:
11/27/2024 9:24:08 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
TR/Dropper.MSIL.Gen
7.11.141.68

Reason Heuristics
PUP.LakeVentures.P
14.9.6.6

File size:
2.3 MB (2,429,680 bytes)

Product version:
8.0

Copyright:
Copyright © ContentExplorer 2014

Original file name:
ContentExplorer.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Adknowledge Fusion

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\roaming\contentexplorer\contentexplorer.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Lake Ventures LLC

Authority:
GoDaddy.com, Inc.

Valid from:
12/18/2013 1:52:44 AM

Valid to:
12/18/2014 1:52:44 AM

Subject:
CN=Lake Ventures LLC, O=Lake Ventures LLC, L=Aliso Viejo, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
SERIALNUMBER=07969287, CN=Go Daddy Secure Certification Authority, OU=http://certificates.godaddy.com/repository, O="GoDaddy.com, Inc.", L=Scottsdale, S=Arizona, C=US

Serial number:
2B14BBCA37F140

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
7/10/2014 10:38:13 AM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
8.0

.NET CLR dependent:
Yes

CTPH (ssdeep):
49152:uxit/XjoZaA1mN6OY0wmZ4CA+sPb9doFljnjDo2one44gSydL:zj5NemqCAjZMlz5ae44gZL

Entry address:
0x25009E

Entry point:
FF, 25, 00, 20, 40, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.7822

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C# / Basic .NET

Code size:
2.3 MB (2,417,152 bytes)

Startup File (User Run)
Registry location:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

Name:
ContentExplorer

Command:
"C:\users\{user}\appdata\roaming\contentexplorer\contentexplorer.exe"


The file ContentExplorer.exe has been discovered within the following programs.

ContentExplorer  by Lake Ventures LLC
From the Terms and Conditions: "Content Explorer is ad-supported. During general internet usage on sites where Content Explorer operates, users may see additional banner, search, pop-up, pop-under, and in-text link advertisements.
ContentExplorer.net
85% remove it
 
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The executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-54-208-30-101.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (54.208.30.101:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to static.88.92.9.176.clients.your-server.de  (176.9.92.88:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to static.23.47.40.188.clients.your-server.de  (188.40.47.23:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to static.216.63.9.5.clients.your-server.de  (5.9.63.216:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to static.128.147.76.144.clients.your-server.de  (144.76.147.128:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to server1.bartarinha.ir  (94.182.146.175:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to serv.quitblaine.biz  (31.7.63.107:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to par10s09-in-f16.1e100.net  (173.194.40.112:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to par08s10-in-f1.1e100.net  (74.125.230.225:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ns508807.ip-198-27-68.net  (198.27.68.142:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to muc03s14-in-f6.1e100.net  (74.125.232.70:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to muc03s14-in-f3.1e100.net  (74.125.232.67:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to lhr14s24-in-f4.1e100.net  (74.125.230.100:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to lhr08s05-in-f2.1e100.net  (74.125.230.130:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to hosted-by.leaseweb.com  (199.115.116.212:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to hosted-by.hostdl.com.asiatech.ir  (79.127.127.74:80)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to hosted-by.hostdl.com  (199.167.138.77:80)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to fra07s29-in-f2.1e100.net  (173.194.112.66:443)

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to fra07s29-in-f1.1e100.net  (173.194.112.65:443)

TCP (HTTP):
Connects to ec2-54-85-60-104.compute-1.amazonaws.com  (54.85.60.104:80)

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