Hotspot Shield
What is Hotspot Shield?
Hotspot Shield is software application developed by AnchorFree Inc. It is most commonly found on computers running Windows 7 with nearly 70.57% of installations running this operating system. Hotspot Shield's installer is typically 25.00 MB in size and installs around 93 files. The most common release is 2.52 with 30.46% of all installations currently using this version.
Hotspot Shield is most popular in the United States with 41.1% of installations residing in this country.
Hotspot Shield adds 1 scheduled task to the Windows Task Scheduler launching the program at randomly scheduled times. When using a computer that is connected to the internet, Hotspot Shield is known to create 1 firewall exception to allow inbound and outbound connectivity.
About Hotspot Shield?
Hotspot Shield is an application designed to enhance internet security and privacy. It allows users to create a virtual private network (VPN) to securely transfer data, protecting against potential threats when accessing public Wi-Fi hotspots. The software safeguards against the risks associated with using insecure connections, such as the potential for viruses, intrusions, and unauthorized access to personal information. Moreover, Hotspot Shield offers the ability to block third-party advertisements and may include the optional installation of a branded version of the Conduit Toolbar, which provides search-based advertising and results. Users have the choice to install this toolbar during the software setup process. Through the installation of the toolbar, additional components such as ConduitInstaller.exe are downloaded and installed as needed.
Multiple virus scanners have detected malware in Hotspot Shield.
| Scanner Software | Version | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bkav FE | 1.3.0.4959 | HW32.CDB |
| McAfee-GW-Edition | 7.7094 | Heuristic.LooksLike.Win32.Suspicious.R |
| Symantec | 6/20/2014 rev. 6 | WS.Reputation |
Software Behaviors
- Services:
-
- cmw_srv.exe runs as a service named 'Hotspot Shield Service' (hshld).
- Firewall:
-
- IEMonitor.exe is added as a firewall exception for 'C:\Program Files\Internet Download Manager\IEMonitor.exe'.
- Scheduled tasks:
-
- Uninstall.exe is scheduled as a task with the class '{52E275C6-8AE8-4966-84D7-8CE4FDC98557}' (runs on registration).
Startup Entries
- Registry entries:
-
- IDMan.exe is loaded in the current user (HKCU) registry as an auto-starting executable named 'IDMan' and executes as C:\Program Files\Internet Download Manager\IDMan.exe /onboot.
Software Details
- URL:
- https://www.hotspotshield.com/trial
- Support:
- –
- Installation path:
- C:\Program Files\Hotspot Shield
- Uninstaller:
- C:\Program Files\Hotspot Shield\Uninstall.exe
- Size:
- 25.00 MB
- Language:
- English
Hotspot Shield Executable Details
- Primary executable:
- hsswd.exe
- Name:
- Hotspot Shield
- Path:
- C:\Program Files\Hotspot Shield\hsswd.exe
- MD5:
- 3bba92e00ba44bb0abb8b5b3bda6c5b8
- SHA-1:
- –
- SHA-256:
- –
| File Type | Filename | MD5 |
|---|---|---|
|
EXE
|
3b11e687e4ef565b84e76eae92fa6b81 | |
|
DLL
|
27546c21dc896d25ca14af631f6ba8fb | |
|
EXE
|
0049d0cec08d5d7b9e8269a586340b5e | |
|
EXE
|
06b91886c18af4de8a8e1b42bcd6e6de | |
|
EXE
|
6bd3806b17477439d6b2eac53e058c47 | |
|
DLL
|
51f1988ad3ea421da503a3e6cfeb22c3 | |
|
DLL
|
a148f3eb5e8b966bab691dda2494f6f2 | |
|
EXE
|
207b16fa69f61d1895f8d8532f587e4b | |
|
DLL
|
4db83c7ced8164b8cf04ec9e7130ae0a | |
|
DLL
|
c2752cffb1418b0b2174eff338414934 |