Is ljuubs.exe safe?
Multiple independent engines identify this unsigned executable as a Windows activation hacktool, while runtime evidence includes process injection and access-token manipulation techniques.
The file is consistently identified as WinActivator, a keygen, or related activation hacktool by 41 of 75 engines, including six tier-1 detections. A completed sandbox run also mapped activity to T1055 and T1134, while no verified publisher signature supports the executable.
248585e56ac9e24e91…689aa19ff2849fRecommended next actions
Before running
Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
If you already ran it
Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.
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.
The file is consistently identified as WinActivator, a keygen, or related activation hacktool by 41 of 75 engines, including six tier-1 detections. A completed sandbox run also mapped activity to T1055 and T1134, while no verified publisher signature supports the executable.
The strongest evidence is the confirmed hacktool classification: Microsoft, ESET-NOD32, BitDefender, Emsisoft, GData, and several other engines independently identify activation or keygen functionality. Overall, 41 of 75 engines flagged the sample, so this is not an isolated heuristic result. Runtime evidence from one sandbox includes T1055 process injection and T1134 access-token manipulation, both offensive techniques that increase the operational risk. The executable is unsigned and has a reputation score of -69. Although its two observed domains had no adverse cached reputation and the sandbox did not issue a malware verdict, those counter-signals do not negate the corroborated hacktool identification.
What We Detected
Forty-one of 75 antivirus engines flagged this Win32 executable. Microsoft identified a KeyGen hacktool, ESET-NOD32 identified WinActivator, and BitDefender, Emsisoft, and GData reported Application.Hacktool.125. The file has no authenticated publisher signature and carries a reputation score of -69.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox run mapped activity to MITRE T1055, associated with process injection, and T1134, associated with access-token manipulation. These capabilities can interfere with other processes or security boundaries. No malicious child hash was recorded, and the two observed domain names had no known-malicious or suspicious cached reputation.
What To Do Now
Do not run this activation tool. Quarantine or remove it while keeping endpoint protection enabled, and use legitimate Windows licensing and activation channels instead. If it was already executed, run a full system scan and review accounts and startup locations for unexpected changes.
Where this verdict could be wrong5 caveats
- engines.tier1FamilyConsensus.strong=false; the labels vary between WinActivator, keygen, generic trojan, PUA, and one ransomware label.
- behaviour.hasMaliciousSandboxVerdict=false, and no malicious child hash was recorded.
- contactedHosts inspected www.baidu.com and www.microsoft.com and found no known-malicious or suspicious domain reputation.
- prevalence.classification=common_old, with 270 sources and 283 submissions since 2018.
- externalIntel.malwareBazaar.hit=false and externalIntel.circl.hit=false; YARAify coverage was unavailable because the request timed out.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- No malicious sandbox verdict was recorded
- No malicious dropped child was recorded
- The two observed domain names had no adverse cached reputation
- The sample is old and widely submitted
- No packing or high-entropy code was detected
- 41/75 antivirus detections
- Six tier-1 engines flagged the executable
- Confirmed WinActivator/keygen hacktool labels
- MITRE T1055 process-injection evidence
- MITRE T1134 access-token manipulation evidence
- Unsigned Windows executable
Quarantine or delete the file and keep endpoint protection enabled. If it has run, perform a full scan and replace it with software obtained through legitimate licensing channels.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete41 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial2 of 22 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.
YARA
Complete1 signature or behavior rule matched.
External intel
PartialIndependent reference checks were attempted but are incomplete.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
Runtime flight recorder
Capture complete- 1isolated sandbox run
- 24MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 9spawned processes
- 22network contacts
- 29filesystem & 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: Changed an auto-start location that can make code run after sign-in or restart.
Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.
Moderate concern: Runs hidden system commands (script or shell).
Moderate concern: Communicated over a common application protocol; malware can use this for command-and-control.
Moderate concern: Scans through your files and folders.
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 hacktools are abused
This is a hacking or cracking tool — the kind used to bypass software licences, generate fake keys, or attack other systems. Even when the tool 'works', these downloads very often carry hidden malware.
Bottom line:Running one means trusting an anonymous author with full access to your PC — rarely worth the risk.
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
ljuubs.exe
248585e56ac9e24e917f83148c484457a23e625a11448af8e7689aa19ff2849f
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\file.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\system32\services.exe
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
WERA793.tmp
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
WERA793.tmp.csv
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp.csv
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostDerived
www.baidu.com
Saved reputation verdict: safe.
06Contacted-host cross-check - Contacted hostDerived
www.microsoft.com
Saved reputation verdict: safe.
07Contacted-host cross-check - +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.
- www.baidu.com
- www.microsoft.com
- 103.235.47.188
- a83f:8110:2c00:2000:4300:6f00:6d00:7000
- 20.99.132.105
- 20.99.184.37
- 20.99.133.109
- 23.216.147.64
- 192.229.211.108
- a83f:8110:0:0:700:700:2800:4000
- 20.99.185.48
- 23.216.147.76
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Deployment\Package\*\S-1-5-21-1015118539-3749460369-599379286-1001\{DA183197-74E8-432A-9DA7-9E93EC3B2F09}
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Deployment\Package\*\S-1-5-21-1015118539-3749460369-599379286-1001\{DA183197-74E8-432A-9DA7-9E93EC3B2F09}\Count
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Deployment\Package\*\S-1-5-21-1015118539-3749460369-599379286-1001\{DA183197-74E8-432A-9DA7-9E93EC3B2F09}\From
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Deployment\Package\*\S-1-5-21-1015118539-3749460369-599379286-1001\{DA183197-74E8-432A-9DA7-9E93EC3B2F09}\Version
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp.csv
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERAB0F.tmp
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERAB0F.tmp.txt
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER2044.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER2565.tmp.csv
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER267F.tmp.txt
- C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache\cache.dat
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERC87B.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
- 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
- CTF.TMD.MutexDefaultS-1-5-21-1482476501-1645522239-1417001333-500
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 1rule hit recorded
- 41 / 75engines flagged
- 270sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
1 high-confidence signature or behavior rule matched this file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceDerivedSourceSignature and behavior rulesObserved at - 02
41 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file, including ALYac and Antiy-AVL.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has a long, established submission history across 270 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSubmission historyObserved at - 04
Scanned file: ljuubs.exe — 248585e56ac9e24e917f83148c484457a23e625a11448af8e7689aa19ff2849f
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\file.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\system32\services.exe
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: WERA793.tmp — C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: WERA793.tmp.csv — C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WERA793.tmp.csv
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: www.baidu.com — Saved reputation verdict: safe.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceContacted-host cross-checkObserved at - 10
Contacted host: www.microsoft.com — Saved reputation verdict: safe.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceContacted-host cross-checkObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
Category: hacktool
Available reference checks returned no match, but at least one source was unavailable. This is not a clean result.
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.
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.
Evidence"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\file.exe"
41 of 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 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
- ljuubs.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 3.1 MB
- Last analyzed
- Sep 28, 2026, 1:08 PM UTC
248585e56ac9e24e917f83148c484457a23e625a11448af8e7689aa19ff2849fSafety & 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.
- Recovery step 01
Don't run this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
- Recovery step 02
If you already ran 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.
- 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.
- Recovery step 04
Get a fresh copy 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.
Is ljuubs.exe malware?
What is ljuubs.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected ljuubs.exe?
I already downloaded and ran ljuubs.exe — what should I do?
How do I remove ljuubs.exe?
What kind of malware is ljuubs.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of ljuubs.exe?
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Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.