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:
eefc807cfd57140836082e55823fd447

SHA-1:
13b30c3b1bd02aee2f1ec0ab0bdf5df683e0fdca

SHA-256:
8078c49288fa1f8b73544d53f78fd466f981482c21361fdd47a3775ac7f93ea6

Scanner detections:
35 / 68

Status:
Adware

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:
1/8/2025 10:58:38 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
651

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]
150319-1

AVG
Adware AdPlugin.DAS
2014.0.4311

Bitdefender
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
1.0.20.570

Bkav FE
W32.HfsAdware
1.3.0.6379

Clam AntiVirus
Win.Adware.Multiplug-33061
0.98/20091

Comodo Security
Application.Win32.SoftPulse.D
20534

Dr.Web
Trojan.Domaiq.115
9.0.1.0114

Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
8.15.04.24.02

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
11.2015-24-04_6

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

herdProtect (fuzzy)
variant of itunes(5).exe (Adware)
2015.7.25.16

IKARUS anti.virus
PUA.SoftPulse
t3scan.1.8.9.0

K7 AntiVirus
Unwanted-Program
13.188.14496

Kaspersky
not-a-virus:AdWare.Win32.SoftPulse
14.0.0.2142

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.Plugin
v2015.04.24.02

McAfee
Program.SoftPulse
5600.6785

MicroWorld eScan
Gen:Variant.Application.Bundler.Amonetize.19
16.0.0.342

NANO AntiVirus
Riskware.Win32.SoftPulse.dlfurr
0.30.0.64448

Norman
Application.Bundler.DomaIQ.V
11.20150424

Panda Antivirus
Trj/Genetic.gen
15.04.24.02

Quick Heal
PUA.Pluginupda3.Gen
4.15.14.00

Reason Heuristics
Threat.Softpulse.Bundler
15.4.24.10

Rising Antivirus
PE:Malware.XPACK-HIE/Heur!1.9C48
23.00.65.15422

Sophos
PUA 'SoftPulse' (of type Adware)
59

Trend Micro House Call
ADW_PULSOFT.SM
7.2.114

Trend Micro
ADW_PULSOFT.SM
10.465.24

Vba32 AntiVirus
Signed-Adware.Softpulse
3.12.26.3

VIPRE Antivirus
Threat.4150696
37588

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:
10/8/2014 10:00:00 AM

Valid to:
10/9/2015 9:59:59 AM

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 10:53:10 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:zBaDBRbn4Xw5I0nVMn2mqHeIHf4dR4e4kUD3eUG00DUJcR3rBED90ZRO8sU:0DB94XQVesDyRD4kUD3eUG00DUJcNriM

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/au/.../index.php?sid=1193&dv1=ad1190-au&kw1=ad1190-au-lm&uuid=bf7fec11-858c-4531-486d-ed94f600ee52&dv3=bf7fec11-858c-4531-486d-ed94f600ee52

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