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 1 anti-malware scanner with very strong indications that the file is a potential threat. The program is a setup application that uses the Softpulse SoftwareBundler installer. The file has been seen being downloaded from oz.fluctuateflv.com.
Publisher:
Plugin Update S.L.  (signed and verified)

Product:
taskhost

Version:
5. 4. 5. 4

MD5:
6d2b3c63462b51acb07a897517c990a3

SHA-1:
6346742778485939717653f848c59c6d4780f14a

SHA-256:
c7af2e6269559d6e981ac9ad3a36935d24c0fefccf2e50877d59e98bee67a828

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:
1/9/2025 8:35:54 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Softpulse.PluginUp.Bundler (M)
16.5.14.1

File size:
586.1 KB (600,152 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:
10/8/2014 1:00:00 AM

Valid to:
10/9/2015 12:59:59 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 12:53:10 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
9.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:zBaDBRbn4Xw5I0nVMn2mqHeIHf4dR4e4kUD3eUG00DUJcR3rBED90ZRO8si:0DB94XQVesDyRD4kUD3eUG00DUJcNria

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.

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