installCore

InstallCore was an installation and content distribution platform created by ironSource, including a software development kit (SDK) for Windows and Mac OS X.[1] The program allowed those using it for distribution to include monetization by advertisements, charging for installation, etc. and took pains to make its installations invisible to the user and to anti-virus software.[2]

InstallCore
Developer(s)IronSource
Initial release2010
Websitewww.installcore.com

The platform, and programs using it, have been rated potentially unwanted programs (PUP) or potentially unwanted applications (PUA) by anti-malware product vendors since 2014,[3] and by Windows Defender Antivirus since 2015.[4]

The platform was primarily designed for efficient web-based deployment of various types of application software. As of August 2012 installCore was managing 100 million installations every month,[5] offering services for paid, unpaid and free software (using the SDK version).[6] installCore was a product of ironSource, which is headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in San Francisco, California in the United States, and Beijing, China.[7]

InstallCore was discontinued as part of a company flotation in late 2020.[8]

History

The InstallCore team introduced the first version of the SDK at the beginning of 2011, [9] the SDK was a fork of the FoxTab installer and had only basic Installation features.

The first version only includes three files - system.js, application.js, and packages.js which support over-the-web software packages delivery and basic system modifications. The second version introduced debug capabilities, support for the different windows versions and web forms support; it also enabled the integration of JQuery and CSS 2.1 for better UI design

Features

InstallCore development platform provides a software development kit (SDK) based on JavaScript and HTML/HTML 5.0. Installation projects can be compiled into a windows executable file and used for software installation and distribution. The platform supports the following features:[10]

JavaScript and HTML based user interface

Version 2.1 introduced a fully customizable design interface based on HTML, CSS, and a JavaScript SDK.

<head>
	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" />
	<!-- sdk - include here the minimum required scripts -->
	<script type="text/javascript" src="sdk/debug.js"></script>
	<script type="text/javascript" src="sdk/form.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
	<div id="irsoForm" irsoTransition="fade" irsoWidth="620" irsoHeight="380" 
	irsoBorderStyle="bsNone" irsoStayOnTop="true">
	
	<div id="main">
		<div id="topPanel" class="irsoDragHandle">
			<div id="closeIcon" onclick="closeWindow()"></div>
			<div id="TOP_TITLE" class="irsoDragHandle" style="display:none"></div>
			<div id="logo" class="irsoDragHandle">Hello World!</div>
		</div>
	</div>
</body>

Since installCore version 4.10 the SDK integrated 12 fully pre-designed templates and a customization tool to create a WYSIWYG design.

Monetization features

The program has features supporting generation of revenue for users by advertising, charging for program installation, etc.

  • Full Windows API support, including full file system and registry access, loading and execution of dynamic link libraries and executing files.
  • Ad server technology, named FlowAutomator, to support optional 3rd party products during installations
  • Client side profiling algorithms, including data of previous downloads.
  • Full Html UI support including JQuery, Zepto.js, and CSS 4.0
  • Optional Pay-per-install (PPI) monetization component

Compiler make script

The installCore compiler program HtmlUiMaker uses a make script , such as the following example, in order to compile a JavaScript and HTML skin into executable installation programs.

; Example Make script - Set Parameters
[APP_MAKER]
; App_Maker parameters used to create output EXE file
SKIN="\skin"
; Set installer icon
APP_ICON="\resources\installer.ico"  
RAW_EXE=Setup32.exe
COMPRESS=1
OUT_EXE=\release\%EXE_CODE%Setup_v%VI_FILE_VER%.exe

Criticism and malware classification

installCore and software packages relying on it have been classified as potentially unwanted programs (PUP) or potentially unwanted applications (PUA), by anti-malware product vendors[3] and Windows Defender Antivirus[4] from 2014-2015 onwards, with many stating that it installs adware and other additional PUPs.[11] Malwarebytes identified the program as "a family of bundlers that installs more than one application on the user's computer".[12] It has been described as crossing "the line into full-blown malware" and a "nasty Trojan".[13]

Generated installer

The generated installer is a Portable Executable which contains the installation script. The installer can be configured to function as full installer or a bootstrap installer. As the installation script is compiled, it cannot be obtained from the delivered executable without reverse-engineering the binary.

Multilingual support

As of version 3.1 of the official release installCore fully supported both Unicode and RTL but depended on Windows 2000 with SP 4 as a minimum requirement to accurately present the UI.[14]

See also

References
  1. "ironSource's installCore launches Mac OS installer to offer comprehensive, cross-platform solution for developers". Software Developer Times. 25 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  2. "Automated Malware Analysis Report".
  3. Detailed Threat Analysis - Sophos, 8 Dec 2014
  4. PUA:Win32/InstallCore - Windows, Mar 11 2015
  5. "InstallCore Hits New High With 100 Million Monthly Installs". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
  6. "installCore Introduces Super Targeting for Freemium-Model Desktop Applications". PRWeb. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  7. Xiang, Tracey (Jun 6, 2014). "Israeli Application Distribution Service ironSource Set up Office in China to Help the Chinese Go Global". technode.
  8. "Giving up its cash cow paved ironSource's way to NYSE". Globes. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  9. "The InstallCore SDK | InstallCore – Professional installation creation platform". August 20, 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-08-20.
  10. installCore Features
  11. Macgregor, Jody (14 July 2022). "Unity is merging with a company who made a malware installer". PC Gamer. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  12. "Adware.InstallCore". Malwarebytes Labs. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. Paul Wagenseil (May 20, 2015). "Mac Adware Trojan Can Install Anything on OS X". Tom's Guide.
  14. "List of languages supported in Windows 2000".
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