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ContentExplorer.exe

Application Genius, LLC

This adware bundler is distributed through Adknowledge's advertising supported software managers. The application ContentExplorer.exe by Application Genius has been detected as adware by 16 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’. It will plug into the web browser and display context-based advertisements by overwriting existing ads or by inserting new ones on various web pages.
Publisher:
ContentExplorer  (signed by Application Genius, LLC)

Product:
ContentExplorer

Version:
8.0

MD5:
f71392927cee11e7bdcd49bd48bbf468

SHA-1:
5c0feab45e5958287a5bc4ebc0c734e4ad7efb61

SHA-256:
d16b6b49915e2311b79c68c43cd085f45448934deeefc969997867822e806a4d

Scanner detections:
16 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
Injects advertising in the web browser in various formats.

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:
11/15/2024 1:41:56 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
ADWARE/Adware.Gen7
7.11.200.12

avast!
Win32:IBryte-JC [PUP]
2014.9-150214

AVG
Generic
2016.0.3236

Baidu Antivirus
Adware.Win32.iBryte
4.0.3.15214

Bkav FE
W32.HfsAdware
1.3.0.6379

Comodo Security
ApplicUnwnt
20835

Dr.Web
Trojan.iBryte.284
9.0.1.045

ESET NOD32
MSIL/Adware.iBryte (variant)
9.10981

Fortinet FortiGate
Adware/IBryte
2/14/2015

F-Secure
Adware.BrowseFox.BB
11.2015-14-02_7

McAfee
Artemis!B211B824C314
5600.6855

Qihoo 360 Security
HEUR/QVM03.0.Malware.Gen
1.0.0.1015

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Startup.Adknowledge
15.2.14.11

Sophos
Generic PUA NO
4.98

Trend Micro House Call
Suspicious_GEN.F47V0104
7.2.45

VIPRE Antivirus
iBryte
36956

File size:
2.3 MB (2,392,760 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:
Application Genius, LLC

Authority:
GoDaddy.com, Inc.

Valid from:
12/30/2014 9:32:38 PM

Valid to:
12/29/2016 6:07:38 PM

Subject:
CN="Application Genius, LLC", O="Application Genius, LLC", L=Walnut, S=California, C=US

Issuer:
CN=Go Daddy Secure Certificate Authority - G2, OU=http://certs.godaddy.com/repository/, O="GoDaddy.com, Inc.", L=Scottsdale, S=Arizona, C=US

Serial number:
629B575CD8F3186B

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/8/2015 10:30:28 AM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
8.0

.NET CLR dependent:
Yes

CTPH (ssdeep):
49152:q+xHljn1DKFxRxnP/AKESweRD20CsubBnvhg/w6447+:PxDwRxn3AK9w4DPubBnE34X

Entry address:
0x24715A

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...
 
[+]

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

Code size:
2.3 MB (2,380,288 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 executing file has been seen to make the following network communications in live environments.

TCP (HTTP SSL):
Connects to jenda0002.email.locaweb.com.br  (186.202.140.235:443)

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

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