MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is setup.exe safe?

Verdict
Malicious

GData tier-1 detection of PSEB family, corroborated by RAG consensus, process injection, direct-IP C2, and YARA hits.

GData (tier-1) identifies this as PSEB-family malware. Two prior samples with the same imphash were verdicted malicious. The file exhibits process injection, direct-IP C2 communication, and contacted a known warez site. Community YARA rules converge on malicious patterns.

Do not install this file

Block and quarantine this file immediately. The convergence of tier-1 detection, RAG consensus, process injection, C2 communication, and warez-site contact establishes malware classification. Do not execute or allow execution on any system.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
3of 74 flagged
Flagged 3No detection 71
Digital specimensetup.exe16c82723b441f048a7…8954ab90b343da
Size4.3 MB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxRuntime complete
First seen3y ago
Evidence3 priority signals
4 high-confidence signature or behavior rules matched this file.

Recommended next actions

01

Before installing

Do not install it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

02

If you already installed it

Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.

Chapter 02

Intelligence

The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.

82%Confidence
High
Analyst conclusion

GData (tier-1) identifies this as PSEB-family malware. Two prior samples with the same imphash were verdicted malicious. The file exhibits process injection, direct-IP C2 communication, and contacted a known warez site. Community YARA rules converge on malicious patterns.

Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
  • Only 1 tier-1 engine flagged malicious (GData); 16 tier-1 engines reported clean. If GData's heuristic is overly aggressive, this could be a false positive — however, the RAG consensus (2/3 prior imphash matches verdicted malicious) and yaraify hits (3 rules) strongly counter this scenario.
  • No malicious sandbox verdict recorded in behaviour.sandboxVerdicts — but the process chain and file-write patterns (temp extraction, DLL drops, process injection) are consistent with malware execution; absence of a recorded verdict may reflect sandbox analysis gaps rather than benign behaviour.
  • Malwarebytes labels it 'RiskWare.Crack' (tier-2, adwarePua=true) — 'crack' tools are often PUA rather than malware. However, the combination of process injection + direct-IP C2 + PSEB family naming elevates this beyond typical PUA; it exhibits active C2 and evasion tactics.

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

Recommended action

Block and quarantine this file immediately. The convergence of tier-1 detection, RAG consensus, process injection, C2 communication, and warez-site contact establishes malware classification. Do not execute or allow execution on any system.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

4 of 5 complete

Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    3 of 74 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Complete

    1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.

  • Network

    Partial

    3 of 23 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.

  • YARA

    Complete

    5 signature or behavior rules matched.

  • External intel

    Complete

    3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.

Chapter 03

Behavior

Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.

Runtime flight recorder

Capture complete
  • 1isolated sandbox run
  • 29MITRE ATT&CK techniques
  • 15spawned processes
  • 23network contacts
  • 40filesystem & mutex artifacts

What this file does

Observed actions and their security significance

  • High concern: Injected code into another process, a technique that can conceal execution.

  • High concern: Used an input-capture technique that can record credentials or keystrokes.

  • High concern: Attempted to impair or bypass security controls.

  • Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.

  • Moderate concern: Runs hidden system commands (script or shell).

  • Moderate concern: Removed execution artefacts or logs, which can conceal activity.

  • Moderate concern: Communicated over a common application protocol; malware can use this for command-and-control.

These are observed capabilities from an isolated analysis. A technique does not prove malicious intent on its own, and the file never ran on your device.

Threat context

How trojans work

A trojan disguises itself as something useful or harmless to trick you into running it. Once open, it does its real job in the background — anything from stealing data to opening a back door or downloading more malware.

Bottom line:The disguise is the whole trick, so a trustworthy-looking name or icon means nothing.

Recorded behavior

Attack story

Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.

ObservedDerived

7 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.

Chapter 04

Detection & Forensics

Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.

Chapter 05

Safety & FAQ

Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.

What to do now

This file is dangerous. Treat it as harmful and remove it.

  1. Recovery step 01

    Don't install this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

  2. Recovery step 02

    If you already installed it, disconnect from the internet and start with a full antivirus scan or Microsoft Defender Offline scan. If compromise is suspected or the problem persists, use a reputable second-opinion scanner and follow incident-recovery or clean-reinstall guidance.

  3. Recovery step 03

    From a different, clean device, change the passwords on your important accounts (email and banking first) and turn on two-factor authentication.

  4. Recovery step 04

    Download a fresh installer from the developer's official site or an official app store.

Safety FAQ

Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.

8 evidence-based answers
Is setup.exe a virus?
Evidence-based answer
Yes — setup.exe is malicious. Do not install it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 3 of 74 antivirus engines flag it (family: pseb). It behaves as a trojan — malware disguised as something harmless to trick you into running it. If you've already installed it, see the removal and recovery steps below.
What is setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
setup.exe is a software installer, about 4.3 MB. Our analysis identifies it as malicious (family: pseb) — a trojan — malware disguised as something harmless to trick you into running it. Because a file's name and icon can be faked, the safest way to identify it is by its cryptographic hash (below), not its filename.
How many antivirus engines detected setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
3 of 74 antivirus engines flagged setup.exe, 3 of them as outright malicious. The raw count alone does not establish safety or danger; we also weigh which engines flagged it and corroborating behavior, identity, reputation, and rule evidence. The malicious verdict comes from the complete saved evidence, not from this antivirus count by itself.
What should I do if I already installed setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet to stop the malware communicating or spreading. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software (such as Malwarebytes) and quarantine everything it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from a DIFFERENT, clean device — many threats log keystrokes or steal saved credentials. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch closely for fraud and alert your bank. 5) For a confirmed infection, the most reliable fix is to back up your personal files and reinstall the operating system for a clean start.
How do I remove setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
To remove setup.exe: 1) restart into Safe Mode (Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download a tool) so the malware doesn't auto-start. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software and let it quarantine or delete the detections. 3) Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 4) Check your browser extensions, startup items, and scheduled tasks for anything unfamiliar. 5) Reboot and scan again to confirm it's gone. If detections keep coming back, a clean operating-system reinstall is the most dependable cure.
What kind of malware is setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
setup.exe is classified as a trojan — malware disguised as something harmless to trick you into running it. Engines attribute it to the pseb family. Knowing the family matters because it tells you the likely impact — data theft, remote control, file encryption, or unwanted ads — and guides the cleanup.
What is the SHA-256 hash of setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of setup.exe is 16c82723b441f048a70938670cbd7b8e59429e3c62066db7788954ab90b343da, and its MD5 is 6edbcf7f16d1f06b165297ae77166fff. This hash is the file's unique fingerprint — two files with the same SHA-256 are identical. Use it to confirm you're looking at exactly this file (not just one with the same name) when comparing against antivirus databases or a download's published checksum.
How up to date is this analysis of setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on June 25, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of setup.exe is fixed — but antivirus coverage improves over time, so a file that looks clean today can pick up detections later (and vice-versa). If you need the latest picture, MalwareTips staff can re-run the analysis from scratch.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

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The raw file is processed temporarily and is not retained after processing. Its hash and report are public and permanent, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer. Unknown files may be submitted to VirusTotal for analysis. If you ran this file on your computer and are worried, scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus and change critical passwords from a different device.