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vlc-player.exe

Max Setup

The installer utilizes the installCore download manager which may bundle additional offers for various ad-supported toolbars, extensions and utilities. The application vlc-player.exe by Max Setup has been detected as adware by 12 anti-malware scanners. The program is a setup application that uses the installCore installer. The setup program uses the InstallCore engine which may bundle additional software offers including toolbars and browser extensions. The installer is marketed through download protals and search ads as the VideoLAN VLC media player but will also install additional software offers which include adware, PUPs and browser toolbars.
Publisher:
Max Setup  (signed and verified)

MD5:
5a8eb71cdcf2ef1bc52d919076b05361

SHA-1:
338feca32b8d507b0f9092a47009232ac69c7cc2

SHA-256:
06122080e42f0888ed42a296d19257a2dd6f4928c8ce826ab752a7a9ff752bf7

Scanner detections:
12 / 68

Status:
Adware

Explanation:
Uses the InstallCore download manager to install additional potentially unwanted software which may include extensions such as DealPly and various toolbars.

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:
1/12/2025 7:08:02 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Avira AntiVirus
Adware/InstallCore.A.120
7.11.141.200

AVG
MalSign.InstallC
2015.0.3499

Comodo Security
Application.Win32.Installcore.MXT
18068

Dr.Web
Trojan.Packed.24524
9.0.1.0109

ESET NOD32
Win32/InstallCore.LB (variant)
8.9649

G Data
Win32.Application.InstallCore
14.4.24

herdProtect (fuzzy)
variant of opera.exe (Adware)
2014.7.7.23

K7 AntiVirus
Unwanted-Program
13.176.11684

Malwarebytes
PUP.Optional.MaxSetup
v2014.04.19.12

Reason Heuristics
PUP.MaxSetup.K
14.4.19.3

Sophos
Install Core Click run software
4.98

VIPRE Antivirus
InstallCore.b
28118

File size:
655.7 KB (671,400 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
installCore (using Inno Setup)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\vlc-player.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Max Setup

Authority:
COMODO CA Limited

Valid from:
3/11/2014 8:00:00 AM

Valid to:
3/12/2015 7:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=Max Setup, O=Max Setup, STREET=Lillienblam 28, L=Tel Aviv, S=Tel Aviv, PostalCode=651307, C=IL

Issuer:
CN=COMODO Code Signing CA 2, O=COMODO CA Limited, L=Salford, S=Greater Manchester, C=GB

Serial number:
008F6F1294DBB38F9F80A7A06DE489DF45

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/20/1992 6:22:17 AM

OS version:
1.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:tnvppJqIM/Hpa+1Ow3vfIdDDW6k9Uyf2Vm3vl7dLr7VlNp6mzXssA/cuz:tnvbJqIMfpa+1zfUDFk9xom3vl7dXNpM

Entry address:
0x9C40

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, C4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, F0, 89, 45, DC, E8, 86, 94, FF, FF, E8, 8D, A6, FF, FF, E8, 1C, A9, FF, FF, E8, 53, C9, FF, FF, E8, 9A, C9, FF, FF, E8, C9, F2, FF, FF, E8, 30, F4, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, FC, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, C5, A2, 40, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 14, C0, 40, 00, E8, 96, FE, FF, FF, E8, C9, FA, FF, FF, 8D, 55, F0, 33, C0, E8, 83, CF, FF, FF, 8B, 55, F0, B8, 24, CE, 40, 00, E8, 32, 95, FF, FF, 6A, 02, 6A, 00, 6A, 01, 8B, 0D, 24, CE...
 
[+]

Entropy:
7.8627

Packer / compiler:
Inno Setup v5.x - Installer Maker

Code size:
37 KB (37,888 bytes)

The file vlc-player.exe has been seen being distributed by the following URL.

http://www.first-download.net/en/downloads/.../VLC-Player.exe

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