vlcmediaplayer-setup.exe

Download Admin

This is the Tightrope WebInstall which bundles applications with offers for additional 3rd party software, mostly unwanted adware, and may be installed with minimal consent. The application vlcmediaplayer-setup.exe by Download Admin 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 Tightrope WebInstall 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 Admin  (signed and verified)

MD5:
6abaefaa4ad4f398e296fb5340ea23cb

SHA-1:
bac57dcc368e3d242eb963e06adbc6d9d2e82c18

SHA-256:
93533b51d6821e0830cf4ec84ca77b38acc334779c07ecb66696ad25815b78c1

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:
2/25/2025 12:41:26 AM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.Installer.DownloadAdmin.U
14.8.7.20

File size:
75.8 MB (79,454,720 bytes)

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Tightrope WebInstall (using Nullsoft Install System)

Language:
Language Neutral

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\vlcmediaplayer-setup.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:

Authority:
VeriSign, Inc.

Valid from:
3/19/2013 8:00:00 PM

Valid to:
5/29/2016 7:59:59 PM

Subject:
CN=Download Admin, OU=Digital ID Class 3 - Microsoft Software Validation v2, O=Download Admin, L=SAN FRANCISCO, S=California, C=US

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:
2EEB247A8F9D63D74CE7EF9551E3D401

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
6/22/2012 2:07:51 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
10.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
12288:TxpJ36GT+05hxBsW167JerwFx2mV+GbElwHFIC5b+q5V9J2ghrNUcRnb8b:tpB6obnN17wYGbrIczlhrH

Entry address:
0x333B

Entry point:
81, EC, 80, 01, 00, 00, 53, 55, 56, 33, DB, 57, 89, 5C, 24, 18, C7, 44, 24, 10, B0, 73, 40, 00, 33, F6, C6, 44, 24, 14, 20, FF, 15, 30, 70, 40, 00, 68, 01, 80, 00, 00, FF, 15, C0, 70, 40, 00, 53, FF, 15, 88, 72, 40, 00, 6A, 08, A3, B8, 3C, 42, 00, E8, 2C, 25, 00, 00, 53, 68, 60, 01, 00, 00, A3, C0, 3B, 42, 00, 8D, 44, 24, 38, 50, 53, 68, 43, 74, 40, 00, FF, 15, 64, 71, 40, 00, 68, 38, 74, 40, 00, 68, C0, 33, 42, 00, E8, 1D, 24, 00, 00, FF, 15, BC, 70, 40, 00, 50, BF, 00, 90, 42, 00, 57, E8, 0B, 24, 00, 00...
 
[+]

Entropy:
0.1440

Packer / compiler:
Nullsoft install system v2.x

Code size:
23 KB (23,552 bytes)

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

Remove vlcmediaplayer-setup.exe - Powered by Reason Core Security