maxthon.exe

Program Setup

Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.)

The application maxthon.exe by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria) 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 installCore installer. The setup program uses the InstallCore engine which may bundle additional software offers including toolbars and browser extensions. The file has been seen being downloaded from www.capitalbitsmeta.com.
Publisher:
SecuredDownload  (signed by Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.))

Product:
Program Setup

Version:
1.0.5.a0.1_59214

MD5:
88d18f88df162e59056f1193f2c8e354

SHA-1:
77ed06727710eb1216ecd6d4acd6f5658b953d4c

SHA-256:
d7d261f6727e4f67dbd8a11c1918c2174d9c0f9a184000ea6ff1ec6355444835

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
Uses the InstallCore download manager to install additional potentially unwanted software which may include extensions such as DealPly and various toolbars.

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:
11/27/2024 3:41:56 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.InstallCore.AC (M)
16.7.29.9

File size:
915.9 KB (937,880 bytes)

Product version:
1.0.5.a0.1_59214

Copyright:
SecuredDownload

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Language:
Language Neutral

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

Digital Signature
Authority:
GlobalSign nv-sa

Valid from:
1/6/2016 2:41:47 PM

Valid to:
8/4/2016 5:23:54 PM

Subject:
CN=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), O=Quality Criteria (Alpha Criteria Ltd.), L=Tel Aviv, C=IL

Issuer:
CN=GlobalSign CodeSigning CA - SHA256 - G2, O=GlobalSign nv-sa, C=BE

Serial number:
1121DC9E5F7E1CC5DF0CA4ED082CF7EB9D86

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/20/1992 12:22:17 AM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:7vKv1P8DGFiu57x5SEFzeFigd58SwkYIbtu3:jMeIfqCw46s

Entry address:
0x9C40

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, 86, 94, FF, FF, E8, 8D, A6, FF, FF, E8, 1C, A9, FF, FF, E8, 53, C9, FF, FF, E8, 9A, C9, FF, FF, E8, C9, F2, FF, FF, E8, 30, F4, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, FC, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, C5, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 96, FE, FF, FF, E8, C9, FA, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, 83, CF, FF, FF, 8B, 55, F0, B8, 24, CE, 40, 00, E8, 32, 95, FF, FF, 6A, 02, 6A, 00, 6A, 01, 8B, 0D, 24, CE...
 
[+]

Packer / compiler:
Inno Setup v5.x - Installer Maker

Code size:
37 KB (37,888 bytes)

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

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