File scan report
Verdict Safe
Is Bootstrapper.
Adobe-signed bootstrapper with a valid signature, used by thousands of sources since 2015, flagged only by one less reliable engine with a generic label.
Read the whole reasonShow less
Strong evidence · Widely seen for a long time, and nothing harmful found.
This Adobe-signed bootstrapper appears legitimate. Keep your antivirus enabled, and obtain Adobe installers only from Adobe's official channels.
Good practice2 tips
We found nothing harmful in this file.
Run it only if it came from the developer's own website or an official app store.
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.
No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.
Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.
Antivirus results
1 of 70 flagged
- Flagged 1
- No detection 69
- No result 5
- Code signing Adobe Systems Incorporated
- Test run Completed
- First seen 11y ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
1 point against it and 5 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This file carries a valid Adobe Systems Incorporated signature and has been submitted by 2,828 sources since it was first seen on Jun 15, 2015. Only 1 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flagged it, using a generic label, and every major antivirus engine that analysed it reported it clean. The sandbox showed connections to Adobe account services and Windows certificate updates.
The signature verifies and belongs to Adobe Systems Incorporated, a publisher on our trusted list. The single detection comes from MaxSecure, a less reliable engine, and uses a generic 'susgen' label with no named family. The file is old and widely distributed, which is consistent with a legitimate Adobe installer component. The sandbox recorded no high-risk techniques and no injection into other processes. Its network activity reached Adobe account services and Windows certificate downloads.
What We Detected
1 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it (MaxSecure) flagged this executable with a generic suspicious label. None of the major antivirus engines detected it. The file is validly signed by Adobe Systems Incorporated and has been submitted by 2,828 sources since it was first seen on Jun 15, 2015.
Threat Behavior
The sandbox runs showed installer-style activity. The file wrote a PDApp log and temporary cabinet files and contacted Adobe's account service and Windows certificate update URLs. No processes were injected and no high-risk techniques were recorded. No complete contacted-host reputation result was available.
What To Do Now
If you obtained this from Adobe or an Adobe installer, it is consistent with a legitimate Adobe setup bootstrapper. Keep your antivirus enabled, and download Adobe software only from official sources.
Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
- A past analysis of another Adobe-signed file with the same lone detection was marked suspicious. That file had the same weak evidence, which does not outweigh a valid Adobe signature and wide distribution.
- Community annotations from third-party scanners rated similar runs as suspicious or malicious. Those labels are unverified and conflict with the 17 major antivirus engines that reported the file clean.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- Valid digital signature from Adobe Systems Incorporated
- None of the major antivirus engines flagged the file
- Widely distributed: 2,828 sources since first seen on Jun 15, 2015
- Network contacts went to Adobe account services and Windows certificate updates
- No high-risk techniques or process injection observed
- One less reliable engine flags the file with a generic suspicious label
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 partial. 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- 21sandbox rule tags
- 3spawned processes
- 6network contacts
- 40filesystem & mutex artifacts
What this file did when executed
This file was run in a sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Techniques observed in the sandbox
21MITRE ATT&CK techniques the sandbox mapped. Highlighted ones are rare in normal software; the others are common in legitimate programs too.
- T1010
- T1012
- T1018
- T1027· Obfuscated code
- T1027.005· Obfuscated code
- T1055· Process injection
- T1057· Lists programs
- T1059· Runs commands
- T1071· Application protocol
- T1082· System recon
- T1083· Scans your files
- T1095· Custom network
- T1112
- T1129· Loads modules
- T1222
- T1497· Sandbox evasion
- T1497.002· Sandbox evasion
- T1518· Checks your AV
- T1518.001· Checks your AV
- T1573
- T1614.001
Observed activity
Processes started
3Programs the file ran, with their command lines.
Bootstrapper.exe"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\Bootstrapper.exe"Bootstrapper.exe%SAMPLEPATH%\Bootstrapper.exe0f8ccdf2162915f2d056702e9df32c65e4ed2e0c0d5d5ea606aa8803b4ef5d9b.exe%SAMPLEPATH%\0f8ccdf2162915f2d056702e9df32c65e4ed2e0c0d5d5ea606aa8803b4ef5d9b.exe
Network contacts
66 hosts, listed as 4 addresses, 4 links. Links show the host and path only.
- IP address
54.209.22.103 - IP address
54.208.106.222 - IP address
54.174.187.14 - IP address
13.107.39.203 - URL
https://na1r.services.adobe.com/account/amfgateway2 - URL
http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3/static/trustedr/en/authrootseq.txt
Show all 8 entries for network contacts
- URL
http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3/static/trustedr/en/authrootstl.cab - URL
http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3/static/trustedr/en/A8985D3A65E5E5C4B2D7D66D40C6DD2FB19C5436.crt
Files
30Files the file created, changed or deleted.
- Written
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\PDApp.log - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\PDApp.log - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Cab1.tmp - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Tar2.tmp - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Cab3.tmp - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Tar4.tmp
Show all 30 entries for files
- Written
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Application Data\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\MetaData\2BF68F4714092295550497DD56F57004 - Written
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Application Data\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\Content\2BF68F4714092295550497DD56F57004 - Written
C:\Documents and Settings\<USER>\Application Data\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\Content\94308059B57B3142E455B38A6EB92015 - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Cab5.tmp - Written
C:\DOCUME~1\<USER>~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\Tar6.tmp - Written
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\PDApp.log - Written
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\PDApp.log - Written
C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution - Written
\Device\ConDrv - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1FE7.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1FF7.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER20B3.tmp.csv - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER20F2.tmp.txt - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER20B2.tmp.csv - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER20F3.tmp.txt - Deleted
C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache\cache.dat - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF2BC.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF2CD.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF368.tmp.csv - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF369.tmp.csv - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF417.tmp.txt - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERF416.tmp.txt - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER20D1.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER21BB.tmp.csv
Mutexes
10Named locks a program uses so only one copy runs; malware families often reuse them.
PDApp.logoleacc-msaa-loadedCTF.LBES.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500CTF.Compart.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500CTF.Asm.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500CTF.Layouts.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
Show all 10 entries for mutexes
CTF.TMD.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500CTF.TimListCache.FMPDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500MUTEX.DefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500RasPbFileGlobal\WindowsUpdateTracingMutex
Sandbox background — not the file
28The analysis machine's own processes and connections, recorded in every run.
- VM process
wuapihost.exeC:\Windows\System32\wuapihost.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files (x86)\Google2412_2146152881\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google276_427416008\bin\updater.exe - VM process
UI0Detect.exeC:\Windows\System32\UI0Detect.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google2368_368680172\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google984_789875206\bin\updater.exe
Show all 28 entries for sandbox background — not the file
- VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google1496_474933940\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google4084_69413681\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google476_208995693\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google1372_284522542\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google348_814702099\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google3360_1709345687\bin\updater.exe - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:700:700:2800:4000 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:beac:bf78:cce1:d301 - VM host
192.168.0.90 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:100:0:1800:0 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:a0b1:b403:0:0 - VM host
20.99.132.105 - VM host
23.216.147.64 - VM host
20.62.24.77 - VM host
13.107.4.50 - VM host
23.216.147.76 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:4d8a:21:0:0 - VM host
20.80.129.13 - VM host
a83f:8110:766b:c00:400:80:100:0 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:6786:21:0:0 - VM host
a83f:8110:300:0:7573:6200:0:0 - VM host
a83f:8110:cce1:d301:10:0:0:0
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache. 10 have no saved verdict and were not checked; that is missing coverage, not a finding.
- 9ed39a1ffbe21d81361e…dedd16Not checkedno saved verdict
- 2bc5288980dbc83899c0…15e541Not checkedno saved verdict
- 5c1a524fd7c256e2d22a…bc09a1Not checkedno saved verdict
- 2c972dbd28d37cf4a934…0059b2Not checkedno saved verdict
- f4bb7146e27a8c6e6d3a…25e04aNot checkedno saved verdict
- 9ae6a27e3bd4ca09edc0…6c3a87Not checkedno saved verdict
- 768b7921b28ba07bbd45…a15783Not checkedno saved verdict
- e74558fceca6aa2b6ee9…1fc325Not checkedno saved verdict
- c09a20c79bde9d35e027…3b5859Not checkedno saved verdict
- 968bebb01d95e4566f92…15c4bbNot checkedno saved verdict
Chapter 04
Technical details
1 of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flags it; signed by Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Sources checked
Every check behind this verdict
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 partial. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.
Engines that flagged it 1
The Safe verdict weighed these detections and treats them as non-decisive.
- MaxSecureTrojan.Malware.325188728.susgen
File fingerprint
- Last analyzed
- Sep 2, 2026, 12:12 PM UTC
- SHA-256
0f8ccdf2162915f2d056702e9df32c65e4ed2e0c0d5d5ea606aa8803b4ef5d9b- SHA-1
e816848423a57939181651be0074de942b700f32- MD5
a810f9c99d82cb8d15667e2494020ebe
About this file
Bootstrapper.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 2.5 MB.
- Type and size
- Win32 EXE · 2.5 MB
- Signer
- Adobe Systems IncorporatedValid code signature.
- First seen
- Jun 15, 2015On VirusTotal.
- Submitted by
- 2,828 distinct sources
- Packer
- None detected
- Entropy
- 7.32 of 8
First scanned Updated
Verdict history
- Suspicious
- Safeafter a re-check of the saved evidence
Ratings change when antivirus engines, our checks or MalwareTips staff learn more about a file.
Antivirus consensus
1 of 70 engines flagged this file
5 of the 75 engines returned no result for this file (file type not supported, or the scan did not finish), so they did not check it.
- Tier-117 engines0flagged
- Tier-236 engines0flagged
- Low-trust17 engines1flagged
View all 75 engine results
- MaxSecureMalicious: Trojan.Malware.325188728.susgen
- AcronisClean
- AhnLab-V3Clean
- AlibabaClean
- alibabacloudClean
- ALYacClean
- Antiy-AVLClean
- APEXClean
- ArcabitClean
- AvastClean
- Avast-MobileNo result
- AVGClean
- AviraClean
- BitDefenderClean
- BitDefenderFalxNo result
- BkavClean
- CAT-QuickHealClean
- ClamAVClean
- CMCClean
- CrowdStrikeClean
- CTXClean
- CylanceClean
- CynetClean
- DeepInstinctClean
- DrWebClean
- ElasticClean
- EmsisoftClean
- ESET-NOD32Clean
- F-SecureClean
- FortinetClean
- GDataClean
- GoogleClean
- GridinsoftClean
- huorongClean
- IkarusNo result
- JiangminClean
- K7AntiVirusClean
- K7GWClean
- KasperskyClean
- KingsoftClean
- LionicClean
- MalwarebytesClean
- McAfeeDClean
- MicrosoftClean
- MicroWorld-eScanClean
- NANO-AntivirusClean
- PaloaltoClean
- PandaClean
- RisingClean
- SangforClean
- SentinelOneClean
- SkyhighClean
- SophosClean
- SUPERAntiSpywareClean
- SymantecClean
- SymantecMobileInsightNo result
- TACHYONClean
- tehtrisClean
- TencentClean
- TrapmineClean
- TrellixENSClean
- TrendMicroClean
- TrendMicro-HouseCallClean
- TrustlookNo result
- VaristClean
- VBA32Clean
- VIPREClean
- VirITClean
- ViRobotClean
- WebrootClean
- XcitiumClean
- YandexClean
- ZillyaClean
- ZoneAlarmClean
- ZonerClean
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Low-severity pattern matches — worth noting but not on their own cause for alarm.
VirusTotal's sandbox summary maps this run to MITRE T1055 (Process Injection), but no injected process of the sample's own was recorded (the analysis VM's own WMI adapter, crash handlers and Chrome updater are not counted). VirusTotal maps T1055 on about half of all files no engine flags, so the mapping alone is not evidence of injection.
EvidenceT1055 (sandbox MITRE mapping)
Section entropy & packers
No high-entropy executable section or known packer signature was detected. Data and resource sections can still have high entropy without indicating packed code.
How widely this file has been seen
Widely seen in the wild for a long time. High prior this is legitimate; isolated detections on common-old files are usually false positives.
Chapter 05
Questions & answers
Short answers to the 7 questions people ask most about this file.
Is Bootstrapper.exe safe?
What is Bootstrapper.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected Bootstrapper.exe?
Is Bootstrapper.exe digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of Bootstrapper.exe?
Is it safe to run Bootstrapper.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of Bootstrapper.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.