GridinSoft Threat Intelligence

searchhook.dll file report

Under review File reputation report
MD5 9125555f0c3f4747795c6ca6e07bfcd2
Latest seen 2025-02-07 23:01:30 (a year ago)
First seen 2017-05-21 05:04:49 (8 years ago)
Size 71 KB
Publisher APN LLC.
Product Search Hook

Why it matters

Evidence available for this file

Detection

No final classification is available yet.

Timeline

First seen 2017-05-21 05:04:49 (8 years ago); latest analysis 2025-02-07 23:01:30 (a year ago).

Publisher context

Company metadata: APN LLC.. Product metadata: Search Hook.

Observed locations

ThreatInfo has seen this file in user or system paths listed below. Unexpected locations increase the need for local verification.

Recommended action

What to do next

  1. Use the hash and metadata below to verify the exact file identity.
  2. Review publisher, signature, paths, and PE details for inconsistencies.
  3. Run a local scan if the file appears unexpectedly or starts with Windows.

File context

searchhook.dll is a Windows file recorded in the ThreatInfo database. It is associated with Search Hook. The reported company name is APN LLC.. The current detection status is Undefined, based on the latest analysis from 2025-02-07 23:01:30 (a year ago).

ThreatInfo does not have a final classification for this file yet. Use the technical details below to compare the hash, size, signature, and observed locations with the copy found on your device.

File Details

Product Name: Search Hook
Company Name: APN LLC.
MD5: 9125555f0c3f4747795c6ca6e07bfcd2
Size: 71 KB
First Published: 2017-05-21 05:04:49 (8 years ago)
Latest Published: 2025-02-07 23:01:30 (a year ago)
Status: Undefined (on last analysis)
Analysis Date: 2025-02-07 23:01:30 (a year ago)

Common Places:

%programfiles%\askpartnernetwork\toolbar\avira-v7\source\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%programfiles%\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-btr-sp[4].7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\inetcache\ie\asktoolbarinstaller-avira-sp[6].7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-kmpv7lb14o0ax.7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-avira-v7yai057a2.7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-orj-spe[3].7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-orj-spe[5].7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%programfiles%\askpartnernetwork\toolbar\orj-spe\source\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar
%system%\config\systemprofile\appdata\local\microsoft\windows\temporary internet files\content.ie5\asktoolbarinstaller-avira-v7jdgjeb7k.7z\program files\askpartnernetwork\toolbar

ThreatInfo has observed searchhook.dll in the locations listed above. Files found in temporary folders, user profile folders, startup locations, or unusual application directories should be reviewed more carefully than files installed under a known program directory.

Geographic signal

Observed country distribution

ThreatInfo has seen searchhook.dll across 41 countries. Use this signal to compare local evidence with where the sample is most often reported.

Top country Taiwan
Share 14.8%
Low High activity

The strongest geographic signal for this file is Taiwan with 14.8% of observed hits. Geographic distribution can help identify targeted campaigns, regional software bundles, or where a file is most commonly reported.

OS Version:

Windows 7 71.0%
Windows 8.1 18.1%
Windows 10 9.0%
Windows 8 1.3%
Windows Vista 0.6%

The most common operating system signal for searchhook.dll is Windows 7 with 71.0% of observed hits. If your system differs from the common profile, check whether the file was introduced by a specific installer, archive, or removable device.

Analysis

searchhook.dll is identified as pe for 32-bit systems. The subsystem is Windows GUI. PE header values are useful for triage, especially when they do not match the expected publisher, product, or release timeline.

Format pe
Architecture 32-bit
Subsystem Windows GUI
Entry point 0x00005415
Image base 0x10000000

PE Sections:

Sections 5
Raw data 67072

Section layout highlights raw-size concentration, repeated names, packer markers, and hashes that can be compared across related samples.

.text 39936 bytes · 59.5% of section data
MD5 1a2bb8c4bf2c53ec8bd67751c583a4db
.rdata 15360 bytes · 22.9% of section data
MD5 754c6ce9028ce7a323402eb6c490883a
.data 4096 bytes · 6.1% of section data
MD5 306529d0a6bee0ea74f642eac2cfb5b4
.rsrc 1536 bytes · 2.3% of section data
MD5 1d32a7a9e9ed1aa33373972c2e1bf9fc
.reloc 6144 bytes · 9.2% of section data
MD5 285615f6e16a2eff3e47e1cabf3fa3ab

PE section names and hashes can reveal packing, injected resources, or unusual build artifacts. Sections with uncommon names, very large raw data, or hashes that differ from a trusted copy deserve additional review.

Report conclusion

This file is still under review

ThreatInfo has not assigned a final verdict yet. Compare the file hash, location, signature, and publisher before trusting the file on a production system.

Scan with GridinSoft Anti-Malware Use a local scan if the file origin or behavior is unclear. Check this hash on VirusTotal

Recommended next steps

  • Compare the local file MD5 with 9125555f0c3f4747795c6ca6e07bfcd2.
  • Check the file path, publisher, and signature against the details in this report.
  • Run a GridinSoft scan if the source, path, or behavior looks unusual.