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microsoft_security_essentials_setup.exe

Microsoft Security

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 microsoft_security_essentials_setup.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. The file has been seen being downloaded from download.sonicdownloads.com.
Publisher:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
Microsoft Security

Version:
3.0.0.105

MD5:
48495f0dade1bd559060043cbd3e1440

SHA-1:
460048e50128b98847b631f5d83f73923c6e8482

SHA-256:
494c9384fdd5a11d6b5ba6b4230dec633234f1ae73229d8a077adfff37d8ca92

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 '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:
12/27/2024 3:36:38 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.3.17.4

File size:
1.1 MB (1,104,440 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.105

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}\microsoft_security_essentials_setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
6/10/2015 5:00:00 PM

Valid to:
6/10/2016 4:59:59 PM

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:
04A0CF6AE167D0090DFCD45981346775

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 6:21:56 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:IxGf59knJDBWHZFMEa6FYDdHYyo8fCg3izAUP047c+X:tmJDBi4qYDVZL37Ucqc+X

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:
6.9478

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

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

http://download.sonicdownloads.com/v2/click/r8zihncw/?d=http://downloadsly.com/download/microsoft_security_essentials_setup.exe&key=1eb8a70a7e3e5e12654ff1843330a30270de1401824829bef1eae282f5cbca93&sid=mseus-dldsly-202548-8766847603-gs1008&uid=&affiliate_image=http://downloadsly.com/.../mse-logo.png&product_image=http://downloadsly.com/.../mse-img.png&n=Microsoft Security&filename=microsoft_security_essentials_setup

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