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howtosimplified.49fb1f9dd6c244629d8213467072f935.exe

HowToSimplified

Mindspark Interactive Network

This is the installer stub for the Mindspark (Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc./Ask) browser toolbar which provides the offer to the end user to install the toolbar and set the browser's search, home page and new tab to an Ask.com search destination. The application howtosimplified.49fb1f9dd6c244629d8213467072f935.exe, “HowToSimplified Setup” by Mindspark Interactive Network has been detected as a potentially unwanted program 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 NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) installer.
Publisher:
Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc.  (signed by Mindspark Interactive Network)

Product:
HowToSimplified

Description:
HowToSimplified Setup

Version:
2.0.1.11

MD5:
3b7bd6084cbee0a1d6c4e9efcea296eb

SHA-1:
43925ab9b55d7e57d151a41a7601983ab1c6d668

SHA-256:
a1052085082819c18a0980bf0086d7d9e573d7e039901d83cddfe3564f22ee93

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

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.

Analysis date:
11/27/2024 9:31:17 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Mindspark (M)
16.8.6.1

File size:
357.6 KB (366,160 bytes)

Product version:
2.0.1.11

Copyright:
© 2015 Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. An IAC Company. All rights reserved.

Trademarks:
® & ™ Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. An IAC Company. All rights reserved.

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Installer:
NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System)

Language:
English (United States)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\{random}\howtosimplified.49fb1f9dd6c244629d8213467072f935.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Mindspark Interactive Network

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
4/19/2015 6:00:00 PM

Valid to:
6/18/2018 5:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Mindspark Interactive Network, O=Mindspark Interactive Network, L=Yonkers, S=New York, C=US

Issuer:
CN=VeriSign Class 3 Code Signing 2010 CA, OU=Terms of use at https://www.verisign.com/rpa (c)10, OU=VeriSign Trust Network, O="VeriSign, Inc.", C=US

Serial number:
438D4291E43C2DFFEEAAAEE5B6C070B5

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
12/24/2013 10:01:44 PM

OS version:
4.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
6.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
6144:LbUTp1+WrfdqLzSZPM+hMD0KAGu+nGfMs/jijb8jEYwUfewdNtYAjjz1dc5ISuZn:LIOWULzSZC0KhG//lXBGwdcAjn1dSRTi

Entry address:
0x3229

Entry point:
81, EC, D4, 02, 00, 00, 53, 55, 56, 57, 6A, 20, 33, ED, 5E, 89, 6C, 24, 14, C7, 44, 24, 10, D8, A2, 40, 00, 89, 6C, 24, 1C, FF, 15, 34, 80, 40, 00, 68, 01, 80, 00, 00, FF, 15, 34, 81, 40, 00, 55, FF, 15, AC, 82, 40, 00, 6A, 08, A3, 58, 4F, 43, 00, E8, 9F, 2E, 00, 00, A3, A4, 4E, 43, 00, 55, 8D, 44, 24, 34, 68, B4, 02, 00, 00, 50, 55, 68, B8, B1, 42, 00, FF, 15, 7C, 81, 40, 00, 68, C0, A2, 40, 00, 68, A0, 3E, 43, 00, E8, 0A, 2B, 00, 00, FF, 15, 38, 81, 40, 00, BB, 00, F0, 43, 00, 50, 53, E8, F8, 2A, 00, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9197

Packer / compiler:
Nullsoft install system v2.x

Code size:
24.5 KB (25,088 bytes)

The file howtosimplified.49fb1f9dd6c244629d8213467072f935.exe has been seen being distributed by the following 2 URLs.

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/vicinio/installers/v2/211736991.S17399.1/nsis/663889-S17399.1/160714152235946/.../HowToSimplified.a601810e719846eaaaea009b96b200bc.exe

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/nocache/vicinio/installers/v2/211736991.S17399.1/nsis/663889-S17399.1/160714152235946/.../HowToSimplified.49fb1f9dd6c244629d8213467072f935.exe

herdProtect is a second line of defense malware removal platform powered by 68 anti-malware engines in the cloud. Since no single anti-malware program is perfect 100% of the time, herdProtect utilizes a 'herd' of multiple engines to guarantee the widest coverage and the earliest possible detection.