Is WEXTRACT.EXE safe?
No antivirus engine detected this long-established Microsoft-signed executable, while its prevalence, trusted publisher, and matching signer history strongly support legitimate legacy software.
All 74 antivirus engines avoided a detection, including 17 tier-1 engines, and the verified signature belongs to Microsoft Corporation. The runtime record contains potentially sensitive techniques and direct-IP traffic, but no sandbox issued a malware finding, and no complete host-reputation check is available.
16ca09ad70561f4133…e2cb1e7f49e2aaRecommended next actions
Before running
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
If you already ran it
Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.
Intelligence
The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.
All 74 antivirus engines avoided a detection, including 17 tier-1 engines, and the verified signature belongs to Microsoft Corporation. The runtime record contains potentially sensitive techniques and direct-IP traffic, but no sandbox issued a malware finding, and no complete host-reputation check is available.
The strongest evidence is the complete absence of detections across 74 engines, including all 17 reporting tier-1 engines. The executable has a verified Microsoft Corporation signature and a curated trusted-publisher match, while 21 of 22 historical signer samples were assessed as benign. It is also widely established, with 498 submissions from 277 sources dating back to 2007, and five comparable Microsoft-signed files previously received benign assessments. One sandbox mapped activity to T1055, T1134, T1485, and T1547.001, but it produced no malicious sandbox verdict and no inspected child was identified as malware. The single YARA match searches for a broad POP-POP-RET opcode pattern, and the incomplete contacted-host check prevents conclusions about the observed IP addresses.
What We Detected
None of 74 antivirus engines flagged the executable, and all 17 reporting tier-1 engines returned no detection. The file is verified as signed by Microsoft Corporation, matches the curated Microsoft publisher record, and has been submitted 498 times by 277 sources since 2007. Five prior signer-matched files also received benign assessments.
Threat Behavior
One sandbox run mapped activity to T1055, T1134, T1485, and T1547.001 and recorded registration of Microsoft Agent components. It did not issue a malicious runtime verdict, and none of ten inspected dropped children was identified as malicious, although their individual dispositions remain unknown. The sample contacted external IP addresses, but contactedHosts is unavailable, so no complete host-reputation result can be stated. One broad YARA rule, exploit_any_poppopret, matched an opcode sequence useful for locating ROP gadgets; that single match is not enough to establish exploitation or malware behavior.
What To Do Now
Prefer an authentic Microsoft or trusted software-distribution source because this is old software and its metadata includes revoked-certificate and invalid-signature tags. Keep endpoint protection enabled and rescan any copy whose hash differs from 16ca09ad70561f413376ad72550ae5664c89c6a76c85c872ffe2cb1e7f49e2aa.
Where this verdict could be wrong5 caveats
- behaviour.offensiveTechniques includes T1055, T1134, T1485, and T1547.001, although the sole sandbox produced no malicious verdict.
- triggeredHeuristics includes MalwareTips.Synth.DirectIpC2 for external IP traffic, but contactedHosts=null means no complete host-reputation result is available.
- externalIntel.yaraify matched one rule, 'exploit_any_poppopret'; one broad gadget-pattern rule does not provide researcher convergence.
- The file carries revoked-cert and invalid-signature tags despite signing.verified=true, so its old certificate metadata warrants caution.
- Ten dropped children were inspected but remain individually unknown, even though droppedChildren.hasMaliciousChild=false.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- 0/74 engines reported a malicious or suspicious result.
- All 17 reporting tier-1 engines returned no detection.
- Verified signature and trusted-publisher match for Microsoft Corporation.
- Common, longstanding prevalence: 277 sources and 498 submissions since 2007.
- Five of five signer-matched historical assessments were benign.
- Runtime mappings include T1055, T1134, T1485, and T1547.001.
- External IP traffic lacks a completed contacted-host reputation check.
- File tags include revoked-cert and invalid-signature despite current signature verification.
- One broad YARA rule, exploit_any_poppopret, matched.
- Ten dropped children have unknown individual dispositions.
Use this exact hash only when obtained from a trusted Microsoft or established software source. Keep security protection enabled and avoid modified or repackaged copies.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete0 of 74 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial20 runtime contacts were observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
YARA
Complete3 signature or behavior rules matched.
External intel
Complete3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
Runtime flight recorder
Capture complete- 1isolated sandbox run
- 21MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 15spawned processes
- 20network contacts
- 40filesystem & mutex artifacts
Attack story
Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.
Input file
The submitted object
- FileObserved
WEXTRACT.EXE
16ca09ad70561f413376ad72550ae5664c89c6a76c85c872ffe2cb1e7f49e2aa
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\microsoft-agent-core.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
regsvr32 /s "C:\Windows\msagent\AgentCtl.dll"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
~TMP4352.TMP
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\~TMP4352.TMP
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
AGENTCTL.DLL
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTCTL.DLL
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
204.79.197.203
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
172.217.214.94
Contact observed during runtime.
07Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
7 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.
What this file did when executed
This file was detonated in 1 sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Adversary techniques mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.
- 204.79.197.203
- 172.217.214.94
- 23.216.81.152
- a83f:8110:584a:b5b1:17cb:1ec8:0:0
- 23.216.147.64
- a83f:8110:101:1ff:101:1ff:101:1ff
- 20.99.132.105
- 23.216.147.76
- 20.99.133.109
- 20.99.184.37
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\~TMP4352.TMP
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTCTL.DLL
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTDP2.DLL
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTDPV.DLL
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTMPX.DLL
- C:\Windows\msagent\SET6816.tmp
- C:\Windows\msagent\SET68A4.tmp
- C:\Windows\msagent\SET6922.tmp
- C:\Windows\msagent\SET6990.tmp
- C:\Windows\msagent\SET69C0.tmp
- MicrosoftAgent2SingleInstanceMutex
- CTF.LBES.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
- CTF.Compart.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
- CTF.Asm.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
- CTF.Layouts.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- bd1295d19d010d4866c9…424e00Never scannednever seen before
- 6550582e41fc53b8a7cc…782ab5Never scannednever seen before
- e8ce546196b6878a8c34…a2d175Never scannednever seen before
- 8414dfe399813b7426c2…fe415fNever scannednever seen before
- e78e74c24d468284639f…a8916dNever scannednever seen before
- e4ccf06706e68621bb69…c16801Never scannednever seen before
- c33beaba130f8b740ddd…1b98deNever scannednever seen before
- 394a17150b8774e507b8…ecafedNever scannednever seen before
- 905cb1a15eccaa9b7992…a92ff7Never scannednever seen before
- d19b6b7c57bcee723952…56103aNever scannednever seen before
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 3rule hits recorded
- 0 / 74engines flagged
- 277sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
0 of 74 antivirus engines flagged the file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 02
The hash appears in a known-software reference database.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceReference software databaseObserved at - 03
The hash has a long, established submission history across 277 sources.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceDerivedSourceSubmission historyObserved at - 04
Scanned file: WEXTRACT.EXE — 16ca09ad70561f413376ad72550ae5664c89c6a76c85c872ffe2cb1e7f49e2aa
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\microsoft-agent-core.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — regsvr32 /s "C:\Windows\msagent\AgentCtl.dll"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: ~TMP4352.TMP — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\~TMP4352.TMP
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: AGENTCTL.DLL — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\IXP000.TMP\AGENTCTL.DLL
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: 204.79.197.203 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 10
Contacted host: 172.217.214.94 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
The available sources did not agree on a named threat category.
One or more independent reference databases matched this hash.
Signatures and behavior heuristics
A community signature or high-severity behavioral heuristic matched. Signatures identify known patterns; heuristics are strong leads but are not proof on their own.
- exploit_any_poppopret
The saved runtime evidence maps this activity to MITRE T1055 (Process Injection). The mapping supports possible process injection, but it does not prove the exact injection method or the operator's intent.
Evidenceregsvr32 /s "C:\Windows\msagent\AgentCtl.dll"The sample contacted an external IP address directly and no application domain was recorded. Direct-IP traffic also occurs in legitimate installers and infrastructure, so this is supporting context only and requires corroboration from host reputation and other runtime evidence.
Evidence204.79.197.203 · 172.217.214.94 · 23.216.81.152
0 of 74 engines flagged this file
View all 74 engine results
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.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- WEXTRACT.EXE
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- Signature valid: Microsoft Corporation
- Size
- 391.1 KB
- Last analyzed
- Sep 24, 2026, 1:24 AM UTC
16ca09ad70561f413376ad72550ae5664c89c6a76c85c872ffe2cb1e7f49e2aaSafety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
This file appears low risk based on the evidence available now.
- Recovery step 01
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
- Recovery step 02
A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.
- Recovery step 03
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on so you stay protected.
Safety FAQ
Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is WEXTRACT.EXE safe?
What is WEXTRACT.EXE?
How many antivirus engines detected WEXTRACT.EXE?
Is WEXTRACT.EXE digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of WEXTRACT.EXE?
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Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.