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writemonkey.exe

CHIP Digital GmbH

The application writemonkey.exe, “CHIP Secured Installer” by CHIP Digital GmbH has been detected as a potentially unwanted program 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 Covus installer. The file has been seen being downloaded from go.skimresources.com.
Publisher:
CHIP Digital GmbH  (signed and verified)

Description:
CHIP Secured Installer

Version:
1.0.7.6

MD5:
d80037e2a21d68a62ea4ce70628f07ca

SHA-1:
0a90117e833d1f33f180ab1f90a0a0edf03f0226

SHA-256:
48ae722d9badddb766df04188a3ae1fd67dede77518eed3c15001247b9f13e78

Scanner detections:
1 / 68

Status:
Potentially unwanted

Description:
This is an installer which may bundle legitimate applications with offers for additional 3rd-party applications that may be unwanted by the user. While the installer contains an 'opt-out' feature this is not set be defult and is usually overlooked.

Analysis date:
11/5/2024 10:10:18 PM UTC  (today)

Scan engine
Detection
Engine version

Reason Heuristics
PUP.ChipDigital.Bundler (M)
16.8.4.3

File size:
1.1 MB (1,164,184 bytes)

Product version:
1.0.7.6

Copyright:
Copyright © 2015 Chip Digital GmbH

File type:
Executable application (Win32 EXE)

Bundler/Installer:
Covus

Language:
German (Germany)

Common path:
C:\users\{user}\downloads\writemonkey.exe

Digital Signature
Signed by:
CHIP Digital GmbH

Authority:
COMODO CA Limited

Valid from:
6/30/2015 1:00:00 AM

Valid to:
6/30/2016 12:59:59 AM

Subject:
CN=CHIP Digital GmbH, OU=Download Development, O=CHIP Digital GmbH, STREET=St.-Martin-Straße 66, L=München, S=Bayern, PostalCode=81541, C=DE

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

Serial number:
2A68C822ECB5BBB6F677B31B69C07F78

File PE Metadata
Compilation timestamp:
9/1/2015 3:16:25 PM

OS version:
5.1

OS bitness:
Win32

Subsystem:
Windows GUI

Linker version:
11.0

CTPH (ssdeep):
24576:mq5TfcdHj4fmbUe2qc0MmV0VMX8y/fZJaqO/pw/XX:mUTsamhxD/q/p4

Entry address:
0x19C880

Entry point:
60, BE, 00, 90, 54, 00, 8D, BE, 00, 80, EB, FF, 57, EB, 0B, 90, 8A, 06, 46, 88, 07, 47, 01, DB, 75, 07, 8B, 1E, 83, EE, FC, 11, DB, 72, ED, B8, 01, 00, 00, 00, 01, DB, 75, 07, 8B, 1E, 83, EE, FC, 11, DB, 11, C0, 01, DB, 73, 0B, 75, 28, 8B, 1E, 83, EE, FC, 11, DB, 72, 1F, 48, 01, DB, 75, 07, 8B, 1E, 83, EE, FC, 11, DB, 11, C0, EB, D4, 01, DB, 75, 07, 8B, 1E, 83, EE, FC, 11, DB, 11, C9, EB, 52, 31, C9, 83, E8, 03, 72, 11, C1, E0, 08, 8A, 06, 46, 83, F0, FF, 74, 75, D1, F8, 89, C5, EB, 0B, 01, DB, 75, 07, 8B...
 
[+]

Packer / compiler:
UPX v0.89.6 - v1.02 / v1.05 -v1.24

Code size:
336 KB (344,064 bytes)

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

http://go.skimresources.com/?id=92X363&site=techradar.com&xs=1&isjs=1&url=http://www.tr.downloads-hub.com/downloadca/resolve/54467002?source=landingpage&xguid=&xuuid=1deadb1e631e072c382d734f3566f58d&xsessid=&xcreo=0&xed=0&sref=http://www.techradar.com/downloads/writemonkey&pref=http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/.../2&xtz=-120

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