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 30 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the Softpulse SoftwareBundler installer. This program installs potentially unwanted software on your PC at the same time as the software you are trying to install, without adequate consent. The file has been seen being downloaded from www.readytwos.com.
Publisher:
Plugin Update S.L.  (signed and verified)

Product:
taskhost

Version:
5. 4. 5. 4

MD5:
0bfef8e392f21fb52f82a479489040e4

SHA-1:
1dcfa31b6f08ea7a6bd92d6a2d175e77f115165c

SHA-256:
e70effa9fb12843a3ec8174340092f3c3fce4217a8f93a980a276a29071400c5

Scanner detections:
30 / 68

Status:
Adware

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:
11/24/2024 6:35:37 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Lavasoft Ad-Aware
Application.Bundler.DomaIQ.V
393

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-CP [PUP]
2014.9-160108

AVG
Generic
2017.0.2871

Bitdefender
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
1.0.20.40

Bkav FE
W32.HfsAdware
1.3.0.6267

Clam AntiVirus
Win.Adware.Agent-34581
0.98/19865

Comodo Security
Application.Win32.SoftPulse.D
20534

Dr.Web
Trojan.DownLoader11.60009
9.0.1.08

Emsisoft Anti-Malware
Application.Bundler.DomaIQ.V
8.16.01.08.03

ESET NOD32
Win32/SoftPulse.S potentially unwanted application
10.7.0.302.0

F-Prot
W32/S-a12b5690
v6.4.7.1.166

F-Secure
Riskware.Application.Bundler.DomaIQ
11.2016-08-01_6

G Data
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
16.1.24

K7 AntiVirus
Unwanted-Program
13.188.14496

Kaspersky
Trojan.Win32.Agent
14.0.0.849

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.Plugin
v2016.01.08.03

McAfee
Program.SoftPulse
5600.6527

MicroWorld eScan
Gen:Variant.Adware.Symmi.49537
17.0.0.24

NANO AntiVirus
Riskware.Win32.SoftPulse.dlfurr
0.30.0.64448

Norman
Application.Bundler.DomaIQ.V
11.20160108

Panda Antivirus
Trj/Genetic.gen
16.01.08.03

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Softpulse.PluginUpdate.Bundler (M)
16.1.8.3

Rising Antivirus
PE:Malware.XPACK-HIE/Heur!1.9C48
23.00.65.16106

Sophos
PUA 'SoftPulse' (of type Adware)
59

Vba32 AntiVirus
Signed-Adware.Softpulse
3.12.26.3

VIPRE Antivirus
Threat.4150696
35418

Zillya! Antivirus
Adware.Agent.Win32.29688
2.0.0.2024

File size:
588.5 KB (602,632 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
Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
10/7/2014 8:00:00 PM

Valid to:
10/8/2015 7:59:59 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:
12/26/2014 6:41:44 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:UXznQ+bCxWrUhLZvzC/igEhrNA9SNwyrYAmyhIna3PiGpYh7jh:lgIh0/iLhrekeKYAl4RNh

Entry address:
0xFEB6

Entry point:
B8, 0C, B2, 4B, 00, 50, 64, FF, 35, 00, 00, 00, 00, 64, 89, 25, 00, 00, 00, 00, 33, C0, 89, 08, 72, 77, 61, 68, 79, 75, 68, 64, 73, 34, 00, B2, 2E, 61, 31, F3, 47, 01, D3, 96, 96, 68, 81, 0A, E1, 1F, C5, 59, 80, F6, 07, 20, 84, 5D, 0D, 8B, 6B, 83, 1C, 68, 17, 09, 24, F0, 84, 12, A9, E6, 71, D1, 69, F3, 24, 8E, 3F, 77, 46, AE, F2, BA, 26, 2F, 05, B0, 68, 18, FD, 91, 84, 4D, A8, FB, 93, 07, 27, 83, C6, D5, D6, BD, 7B, B4, DE, 0B, 83, F7, 78, 8D, 6A, 2B, 18, 2D, BB, 65, C8, 1A, 46, 85, EA, 55, 06, A3, C7, E6...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.9619  (probably packed)

Code size:
148.5 KB (152,064 bytes)

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

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