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Verdict Malicious

Analyzed , 3 months ago

Is cr-keygen.exe safe? No, we rate this exact file malicious.

Unsigned keygen executable flagged by 11 major antivirus engines with evidence from the test run mapped to process-injection behavior.

Read the whole reasonShow less

Strong evidence · Two or more major antivirus engines agree.

Don't run this file

Remove the file immediately; do not trust or redistribute key generators regardless of claimed functionality.

What to do now4 steps

This file is harmful. Don't run it, and remove it.

If you haven't run it

  1. Don't run this file. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin.

If you already ran it

  1. Disconnect the device from the internet, then run a full antivirus scan. Microsoft Defender Offline (Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options) also finds malware that hides while Windows runs.

  2. From another device you trust, change the passwords of your important accounts (email and banking first) and turn on two-step verification.

  3. If the scan keeps finding it, or the device still acts strangely, scan again with a second-opinion scanner from another company; if that doesn't fix it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.

If you already ran it, do these in order.

If you opened or installed it

Avoid banking and sign-ins on that device until it is clean. These free MalwareTips guides walk you through it.

Paste this report's link in your topic so helpers can see what was found.

Why we think so

Share this file report

cr-keygen.exe: Malicious — MalwareTips file scan

The link always shows the latest result for this exact file (its SHA-256 fingerprint).

Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.

Antivirus results

43 of 70 flagged

  • Flagged 43
  • No detection 27
  • No result 4
Filecr-keygen.exe704.5 kBSHA-256 05b4dffe16c9…d08d49
  • Code signing Unsigned
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 1y ago
43 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, including Microsoft and ESET.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

4 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

Analyst conclusion

43 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it detect this file as malicious, including 11 major antivirus engines that label it a keygen or hacktool.

Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
  • No sandbox returned a malicious verdict and no dropped file is known to be malicious — no runtime malicious verdict or malicious files it created observed.
  • contactedHosts.maliciousHosts=null and externalIntel.yaraify.hit=false — no corroborating host or YARA hits.
  • If the keygen is a legitimate dual-use research tool, the hacking tool label could be a false positive, but 11 major antivirus engines and confirmed activity make this unlikely.

These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.

6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. See every source

Chapter 03

What it did in our test

It ran in our isolated test environment; no test environment rated what it did as risky.

Test run summary

Capture complete
  • 7sandbox rule tags
  • 4spawned processes
  • 0network contacts
  • 25filesystem & mutex artifacts

What the test run showed

What the file did on a test computer

Confirmed in the test run

  • Moderate concern: Contains packed or scrambled code that is harder to inspect (common in installers too).

  • Note: Read basic details of the test computer, such as its Windows version.

Sandbox labels we could not confirm (common in safe files too)

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as code injection, but no injected program was recorded.

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as contacting a server, but no contacted host was recorded.

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as changing how Windows loads code; nothing confirms it.

This file was run on a test computer (a sandbox), not on yours. Labels we could not confirm are listed so you can see them, but they are not treated as evidence against the file.

Threat context

How password stealers work

A password stealer runs quietly in the background and copies your private data, such as saved passwords, browser cookies, autofill details and crypto wallets, then sends it to criminals. You usually won't notice anything.

Bottom line:Stolen logins are used to break into your accounts or sold in bulk, so change passwords from another device.

Recorded behavior

What happened in the test

Grouped by step. The order is not a timeline.

Seen in the test runWorked out from other results

  1. Input file

    The submitted object

    1
    1. Evidence 1 of 5: FileSeen in the test run

      cr-keygen.exe

      05b4dffe16c941e1c64357c9d13673b58f6d1dcc0deeb11759851957d0d08d49

      Uploaded file

  2. Processes

    What ran

    2
    1. Evidence 2 of 5: ProcessSeen in the test run

      file.exe

      "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\file.exe"

      Test run
    2. Evidence 3 of 5: ProcessSeen in the test run

      cr-keygen.exe

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

  3. Files

    Created or changed

    2
    1. Evidence 4 of 5: Written fileSeen in the test run

      Test.dat

      C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\Test.dat

      Test run
    2. Evidence 5 of 5: Written fileSeen in the test run

      zrFBIoNdKsgQLkWFcpWl.DLL

      C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\zrFBIoNdKsgQLkWFcpWl.DLL

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

5 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.

Chapter 04

Technical details

43 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; no publisher signature.

Sources checked

Every check behind this verdict

6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.

SourceStatusResultChecked
Antivirus enginesVirusTotal · 74 enginesCompleteRisk signal: 43 of 70 engines flagged it · 4 gave no result Details for antivirus engines
Sandbox runVirusTotal sandboxesCompleteRuntime behaviour was recorded Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerNot neededThe sandbox recorded no contacted hosts to checkNo date recorded
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete1 MalwareTips behaviour rule Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

Engines that flagged it 43

  • Avast (major engine)Win32:Evo-gen [Trj]
  • AVG (major engine)Win32:Evo-gen [Trj]
  • Avira (major engine)TR/Crypt.XPACK.Gen
  • BitDefender (major engine)Gen:Variant.Barys.500433
  • DrWeb (major engine)Trojan.PWS.Spy.21260
  • Emsisoft (major engine)Gen:Variant.Barys.500433 (B)
  • ESET-NOD32 (major engine)Win32/Keygen.TN potentially unsafe application
  • F-Secure (major engine)Packed:W32/PeCan.A
35 more in the full engine list

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Jul 25, 2026, 1:34 AM UTC
SHA-256
05b4dffe16c941e1c64357c9d13673b58f6d1dcc0deeb11759851957d0d08d49
SHA-1
5270361d34e9034ee779c24d9840352c29e47ab8
MD5
8344ca17b5f23ef7dbcec522779ec742

About this file

cr-keygen.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 704.5 kB.

Type and size
Win32 EXE · 704.5 kB
Signer
UnsignedNo code signature.
First seen
Jan 20, 2025On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
380 distinct sources
Packer
None detected
Entropy
7.72 of 8

First scanned

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 8 questions people ask most about this file.

Is cr-keygen.exe malware?
Yes. This copy of cr-keygen.exe (SHA-256 05b4dffe…8d49) is malicious. Other files with the same name can be different, so check the hash. Don't run it. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 43 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. Antivirus engines classify it as a password stealer, built to copy saved passwords, cookies and crypto wallets. If you've already run it, see the steps below.
What is cr-keygen.exe?
cr-keygen.exe is a Windows program, about 704.5 kB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on Jan 20, 2025.
How many antivirus engines detected cr-keygen.exe?
43 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag cr-keygen.exe, including Microsoft and ESET. We weigh which engines flagged it and what else the scan found, not just the count. The rating comes from all the evidence together, not from this count alone.
I already downloaded and ran cr-keygen.exe — what should I do?
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet. 2) Run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from another device you trust, starting with email and banking, and turn on two-step verification. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch your accounts and tell your bank about payments you don't recognise. 5) If the scan keeps finding it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.
How do I remove cr-keygen.exe?
To remove cr-keygen.exe: 1) run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 2) Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 3) Check Settings > Apps, your browser extensions, startup apps (Task Manager > Startup apps) and scheduled tasks for anything you don't recognise. 4) Restart and scan again. If it keeps coming back, scan from Safe Mode with Networking, or back up your files and reinstall Windows.
What kind of malware is cr-keygen.exe?
Antivirus engines classify cr-keygen.exe as a password stealer, built to copy saved passwords, cookies and crypto wallets.
What is the SHA-256 hash of cr-keygen.exe?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of cr-keygen.exe is 05b4dffe16c941e1c64357c9d13673b58f6d1dcc0deeb11759851957d0d08d49, and its MD5 is 8344ca17b5f23ef7dbcec522779ec742. Two files with the same SHA-256 are identical, so use it to check you have exactly this file, not just one with the same name.
How up to date is this analysis of cr-keygen.exe?
This report reflects the scan on Jul 25, 2026. A file's fingerprint never changes, but antivirus engines keep learning, so a rating can change later. To get a newer result, scan the file again: we refresh the antivirus results when the saved ones are out of date.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

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