home

setup.exe

taskhost

Plugin Update S.L.

This is the Softpulse installer which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application setup.exe by Plugin Update S.L has been detected as adware by 35 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Softpulse SoftwareBundler installer. The setup program bundles adware offers using the Amonetize, a Pay-Per-Install (PPI) monetization and distribution download manager. The software offerings provided are based on the PC's geo-location at the time of install.
Publisher:
Plugin Update S.L.  (signed and verified)

Product:
taskhost

Version:
5. 4. 5. 4

MD5:
bb7aee7306682a1d4dc6a81fd28a168e

SHA-1:
0bad38559dd0b1ebecda50a4ed4cd0f95cb5de0e

SHA-256:
7acd53c8cf9b0a06284f815b005d62ac92ecd1891e551dbc8d7a6b6d209ad8ac

Scanner detections:
35 / 68

Status:
Adware

Description:
This is also known as bundleware, or downloadware, which is an downloader designed to simply deliver ad-supported offers in the setup routine of an otherwise legitimate software.

Analysis date:
1/8/2025 11:11:31 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
660

Agnitum Outpost
PUA.Downloader
7.1.1

AhnLab V3 Security
PUP/Win32.SoftPulse
2014.12.30

Avira AntiVirus
APPL/Softpulse.599480
7.11.198.180

avast!
Win32:SoftPulse-CT [PUP]
2014.9-150416

AVG
Generic
2016.0.3138

Bitdefender
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
1.0.20.530

Bkav FE
W32.HfsAdware
1.3.0.6267

Clam AntiVirus
Win.Adware.Multiplug-33061
0.98/20330

Comodo Security
Application.Win32.SoftPulse.D
20534

Dr.Web
Trojan.Domaiq.115
9.0.1.05190

Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
8.15.04.16.06

ESET NOD32
Win32/SoftPulse.V potentially unwanted application
9.7.0.302.0

F-Prot
W32/S-a12b5690
v6.4.7.1.166

F-Secure
Riskware.Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler
11.2015-16-04_5

G Data
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
15.4.24

herdProtect (fuzzy)
variant of sin confirmar 158786.crdownload (Adware)
2015.7.18.0

IKARUS anti.virus
PUA.SoftPulse
t3scan.1.8.9.0

K7 AntiVirus
Unwanted-Program
13.188.14496

Kaspersky
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.SoftPulse
14.0.0.2184

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.SoftPulse
v2015.04.16.06

McAfee
Program.SoftPulse
5600.6794

MicroWorld eScan
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
16.0.0.318

NANO AntiVirus
Riskware.Win32.SoftPulse.dlfurr
0.30.0.64448

Norman
Application.Bundler.DomaIQ.V
11.20150416

Panda Antivirus
Trj/Genetic.gen
15.04.16.06

Quick Heal
PUA.Pluginupda3.Gen
4.15.14.00

Reason Heuristics
Threat.Softpulse.Bundler
15.4.16.2

Rising Antivirus
PE:Malware.XPACK-HIE/Heur!1.9C48
23.00.65.15414

Sophos
PUA 'SoftPulse' (of type Adware)
59

Trend Micro House Call
ADW_PULSOFT.SM
7.2.106

Trend Micro
ADW_PULSOFT.SM
10.465.16

Vba32 AntiVirus
Signed-Adware.Softpulse
3.12.26.3

VIPRE Antivirus
Threat.4150696
36666

Zillya! Antivirus
Adware.Agent.Win32.29688
2.0.0.2024

File size:
586.1 KB (600,168 bytes)

Product version:
6. 5. 4. 6

Copyright:
Copyright (C) 2014

Original file name:
taskhost.exe

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Softpulse SoftwareBundler

Language:
Spanish (Spain, International Sort)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Plugin Update S.L.

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
10/7/2014 5:00:00 PM

Valid to:
10/8/2015 4:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Plugin Update S.L., O=Plugin Update S.L., L=Guia de Isora, S=Santa Cruz de Tenerife, C=ES

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:
0E923B9CF60DA59FC3A43A87A8071FC2

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/10/2015 4:53:10 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:zBaDBRbn4Xw5I0nVMn2mqHeIHf4dR4e4kUD3eUG00DUJcR3rBED90ZRO8sf:0DB94XQVesDyRD4kUD3eUG00DUJcNriX

Entry address:
0xAC16E

Entry point:
60, E8, 00, 00, 00, 00, 58, 05, 9F, 02, 00, 00, 8B, 30, 03, F0, 2B, C0, 8B, FE, 66, AD, C1, E0, 0C, 8B, C8, 50, AD, 2B, C8, 03, F1, 8B, C8, 57, 51, 49, 8A, 44, 39, 06, 88, 04, 31, 75, F6, 8B, D6, 8B, CF, E8, 5C, 00, 00, 00, 5E, 5A, 2B, C0, 89, 04, 32, B4, 10, 2B, D0, 2B, C9, 3B, CA, 73, 26, 8B, D9, AC, 41, 24, FE, 3C, E8, 75, F2, 43, 83, C1, 04, AD, 0B, C0, 78, 06, 3B, C2, 73, E5, EB, 06, 03, C3, 78, DF, 03, C2, 2B, C3, 89, 46, FC, EB, D6, E8, 00, 00, 00, 00, 5F, 81, C7, 8C, FF, FF, FF, B0, E9, AA, B8, 9B...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9436

Packer / compiler:
ASPack v1.08.04

Code size:
155 KB (158,720 bytes)

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

http://www.fluctuateflv.com/f/us/.../index.php?sid=584&dv1=ad577-us&kw1=ad577-us-lm&uuid=5ab87f96-529a-4f92-4ec9-ec7dfa493490&dv3=5ab87f96-529a-4f92-4ec9-ec7dfa493490

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