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vlc_setup.exe

VLC Media Player

Download Assistant

This is part of the Air Installer, a download manager which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application vlc_setup.exe by Download Assistant 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 AirInstaller Download Manager installer. 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:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
VLC Media Player

Version:
3.0.0.136

MD5:
1b185fdd6b27526ce70c4c85367c953d

SHA-1:
2cdbfb19e8e01054ba20c4e2da6413a583460e34

SHA-256:
1eece017c6fdb76b6a755a5a3a40bd2afe4b071577695dbae778b7c793b00f2a

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:
12/27/2024 2:37:21 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.3.29.12

File size:
1.1 MB (1,140,528 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.136

Copyright:
(c) Download Assistant

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
AirInstaller Download Manager

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\inetcache\ie\{random}\vlc_setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
12/1/2015 7:00:00 PM

Valid to:
3/2/2017 6:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Download Assistant, O=Download Assistant, L=Victoria, S=British Columbia, C=CA

Issuer:
CN=Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA, OU=Symantec Trust Network, O=Symantec Corporation, C=US

Serial number:
04A6D3440F1D06EE9CA4CE2B30C76606

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 9:21:56 AM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:bxGnuLz/HLKRWc2w8jGQoB0M4WH71nMSJlO:UbRCrG+spn

Entry address:
0x113BC

Entry point:
55, 8B, EC, 83, C4, A4, 53, 56, 57, 33, C0, 89, 45, C4, 89, 45, C0, 89, 45, A4, 89, 45, D0, 89, 45, C8, 89, 45, CC, 89, 45, D4, 89, 45, D8, 89, 45, EC, B8, 2C, 00, 41, 00, E8, E8, 51, FF, FF, 33, C0, 55, 68, 9E, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 30, 64, 89, 20, 33, D2, 55, 68, 5A, 1A, 41, 00, 64, FF, 32, 64, 89, 22, A1, 48, 5B, 41, 00, E8, 16, D8, FF, FF, E8, 65, D3, FF, FF, 80, 3D, DC, 2A, 41, 00, 00, 74, 0C, E8, 2B, D9, FF, FF, 33, C0, E8, 80, 32, FF, FF, 8D, 55, EC, 33, C0, E8, E2, A3, FF, FF, 8B, 55, EC, B8, 50, 86...
 
[+]

Entropy:
6.9692

Developed / compiled with:
Microsoft Visual C++

Code size:
65.5 KB (67,072 bytes)

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

http://files.net-downloads.co/v2/click/8xnr4gn0/?affiliate_image=&cancel_url=http://net-download.com/download_complete/?error=1&d=http://us-cdn.net-download.com/files/vlc_en.exe&done_url=http://net-download.com/download_complete/&filename=vlc_setup&key=82cfcc938b2bb00be1a7098612957e09094f8a93356f8636e471bc9bdd4641e2&n=VLC Media Player&product_image=http://www.net-download.com/.../product_image_vlc.png&sid=PPC&uid=NETDLCID56a2b87ed1653&uao=TW96aWxsYS81LjAgKFdpbmRvd3MgTlQgMTAuMDsgV09XNjQpIEFwcGxlV2ViS2l0LzUzNy4zNiAoS0hUTUwsIGxpa2UgR2Vja28pIENocm9tZS80Ni4wLjI0ODAuMCBTYWZhcmkvNTM3LjM2&scid=4a738808-c15e-11e5-9f6c-04019337b701

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