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Verdict Safe

Analyzed , 1 month ago

Is steam_api.dll safe? Yes, no threats found.

Steam API DLL signed by Valve, zero engine detections, and widely distributed since 2011.

Strong evidence · A verified publisher signature, and no engine flags it.

Use it as usual if it came from the official source

Retain the file; it matches the expected Steam API component with no malicious indicators.

Good practice2 tips

We found nothing harmful in this file.

  1. Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.

  2. Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.

No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.

Why we think so

Share this file report

steam_api.dll: Safe — 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

0 of 70 flagged

  • Flagged 0
  • No detection 70
  • No result 5
Filesteam_api.dll124.7 kBSHA-256 11c7a5df676f…2f7163
  • Code signing Valve
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 15y ago
None of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

0 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

No antivirus engine flagged the file. It carries a valid Valve signature and has been submitted by hundreds of users over more than a decade.

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
  • 11sandbox rule tags
  • 1spawned processes
  • 2network contacts
  • 22filesystem & mutex artifacts

Chapter 04

Technical details

None of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; signed by Valve.

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.

SourceStatusResultChecked
Antivirus enginesVirusTotal · 75 enginesCompletePositive signal: 0 of 70 engines flagged it · 5 gave no result Details for antivirus engines
Sandbox runVirusTotal sandboxesCompleteRuntime behaviour was recorded Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerPartial2 hosts contacted in the test run had no completed reputation check Details for contacted hosts
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete1 MalwareTips behaviour rule Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Sep 6, 2026, 6:48 AM UTC
SHA-256
11c7a5df676ffe1aa0a498103d061e8c594a3d9df3b9cc23e5b5f642b12f7163
SHA-1
d97a7eb691694e0abad9292bbbe57223ff0446de
MD5
d4b48fdf43364047016fc9ef13c209ff

About this file

steam_api.dll is a Win32 DLL file of 124.7 kB.

Type and size
Win32 DLL · 124.7 kB
Signer
ValveValid code signature.
First seen
Apr 30, 2011On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
269 distinct sources
Packer
None detected
Entropy
7.25 of 8

First scanned

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 7 questions people ask most about this file.

Is steam_api.dll safe?
We found nothing harmful in steam_api.dll. None of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. It has a valid digital signature from Valve. Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.
What is steam_api.dll?
steam_api.dll is a Windows library (DLL), about 124.7 kB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on Apr 30, 2011.
How many antivirus engines detected steam_api.dll?
None of the 70 antivirus engines that checked it flag steam_api.dll. That is a good sign, but not proof, so we also weigh who made it, how widely it is used and what it did in a test run.
Is steam_api.dll digitally signed?
Yes. steam_api.dll has a valid digital signature from Valve, which shows the file hasn't been changed since that publisher signed it. Malware is sometimes signed with stolen certificates, so a signature alone isn't proof of safety.
What is the SHA-256 hash of steam_api.dll?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of steam_api.dll is 11c7a5df676ffe1aa0a498103d061e8c594a3d9df3b9cc23e5b5f642b12f7163, and its MD5 is d4b48fdf43364047016fc9ef13c209ff. 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.
Is it safe to use steam_api.dll?
We found nothing harmful in steam_api.dll, and its digital signature checks out. The main caveat is where you got it: attackers sometimes spread malware under the name of real software, so get it from the official website. If your own antivirus warns about it, check the source before you ignore the warning.
How up to date is this analysis of steam_api.dll?
This report reflects the scan on Sep 6, 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.

Related file reports

Other files people checked with the same name, and recent reports with the same rating. A matching name does not make two files the same: only the SHA-256 fingerprint identifies a file.

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This report and its SHA-256 fingerprint are public, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer; documents and images are listed by type instead of their file name. A file we had not seen before is uploaded to VirusTotal, whose security partners and subscribers can download it; MalwareTips deletes its own copy after the scan. If you ran this file and are worried, scan your device with up-to-date security software.