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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. With this installer, users are expecting to download the VideoLAN VLC media player but before that occurs they may be presented with additional offers, mostly potentially unwanted software or adware.
Publisher:
Download Assistant  (signed and verified)

Product:
VLC Media Player

Version:
3.0.0.133

MD5:
9b3a226b7ec933256e394181eb118e7a

SHA-1:
ee72d1da4d3605af1e1b21d88d5a9dd2d010d234

SHA-256:
097456d82f0247d914c2c31b2e45bc481d0058f3a8156b3296990d2f78f33345

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 is also known as bundleware, or downloadware, which is an downloader designed to simply deliver ad-supported offers in the setup routine of an otherwise legitimate software.

Analysis date:
1/14/2025 10:40:30 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Air Software.Download.Bundler (M)
16.6.12.2

File size:
1.1 MB (1,130,184 bytes)

Product version:
3.0.0.133

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\temporary internet files\content.ie5\{random}\vlc_setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
Download Assistant

Authority:
Symantec Corporation

Valid from:
10/26/2015 12:00:00 AM

Valid to:
10/26/2016 12:59:59 AM

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:
2A1D11E01BC0F867CA2D021506280DBF

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
1/30/2013 2:21:56 PM

OS version:
5.0

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
2.25

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:xxGneDyJUuV3TN9feH3MpImMmMRnMN+t7WMzui+23ekf:KeDGXV3Jl03MqmGMN2jKyzf

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:
6.9498

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.uk-download.net/v2/click/piyjs3im/?d=http://dl.uk-download.com/files/vlc_en.exe&key=ecfb3e0fd93b422548b2871328241c905a73075c43bb4c4d13e33dca55ca5109&sid=vlc_-_4&uid=UKDLCID565f8667d0b14&affiliate_image=&product_image=http://www.net-download.com/graphics/product_image_vlc.png&n=VLC Media Player&filename=vlc_setup&done_url=http://uk-download.com/.../&cancel_url=http://uk-download.com/.../?error=1

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