MalwareTips
Verified clean — official build of EICAR test file
MalwareTips staff confirmed this binary is the real, unmodified release.

File scan report

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Verdict Safe

Analyzed , 28 days ago

Is eicar_com.zip safe? Yes, no threats found.

MalwareTips staff checked this exact file and rated it Safe.

Open or extract it as usual if it came from the official source

Good practice2 tips

We found nothing harmful in this file.

  1. Open it only if you trust the person or website you got it from.

  2. Keep your security software and system updates switched on.

No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.

Checked by MalwareTips staff on Jul 22, 2026
EICAR test file was independently reviewed and verified as a legitimate, unmodified file by MalwareTips staff.
Why we think so

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eicar_com.zip: Safe — MalwareTips file scan

The link always shows the latest result for this exact file (its SHA-256 fingerprint).

Antivirus results

62 of 68 flagged

  • Flagged 62
  • No detection 6
  • No result 7
Fileeicar_com.zip184 BSHA-256 2546dcffc5ad…9eedad
  • Code signing Not applicable
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 20y ago
62 of the 68 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, including Microsoft and Kaspersky.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

0 points against it and 1 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MalwareTips staff review

Staff assessment of this file

The decision below was made by staff for this exact SHA-256 hash.

Analyst conclusion

Staff decision: see the note at the top of the report.

Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
  • The staff decision applies to this exact SHA-256 hash; a different build requires a separate review.

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

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; 1 test environment rated what it did as risky.

Test run summary

Capture complete
  • 12sandbox rule tags
  • 1spawned processes
  • 5network contacts
  • 36filesystem & mutex artifacts

Chapter 04

Technical details

62 of the 68 antivirus engines that checked it flag it.

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 enginesCompleteWorth noting: 62 of 68 engines flagged it · 7 gave no result · treated as non-decisive Details for antivirus engines
Sandbox runVirusTotal sandboxesCompleteWorth noting: Combined summary is split: malicious and clean verdicts Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerPartial1 of 5 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete Details for contacted hosts
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete4 community YARA rules (generic only) Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteWorth noting: Listed; weighed and not decisive for this verdict
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteWorth noting: Listed in an open-upload malware feed

Engines that flagged it 62

The Safe verdict weighed these detections and treats them as non-decisive.

  • Avast (major engine)EICAR Test-NOT virus!!!
  • AVG (major engine)EICAR Test-NOT virus!!!
  • Avira (major engine)Eicar-Test-Signature
  • BitDefender (major engine)EICAR-Test-File (not a virus)
  • DrWeb (major engine)EICAR Test File (NOT a Virus!)
  • Emsisoft (major engine)EICAR-Test-File (not a virus) (B)
  • ESET-NOD32 (major engine)Eicar test file
  • F-Secure (major engine)EICAR_Test_File
54 more in the full engine list

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Sep 28, 2026, 3:20 AM UTC
SHA-256
2546dcffc5ad854d4ddc64fbf056871cd5a00f2471cb7a5bfd4ac23b6e9eedad
SHA-1
d27265074c9eac2e2122ed69294dbc4d7cce9141
MD5
6ce6f415d8475545be5ba114f208b0ff

About this file

eicar_com.zip is a ZIP file of 184 B.

Type and size
ZIP · 184 B
Signer
Not applicable
First seen
May 23, 2006On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
3,703 distinct sources

First scanned Updated

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

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

Is eicar_com.zip safe?
We found nothing harmful in eicar_com.zip. 62 of the 68 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; after weighing the other evidence we treat those alerts as false alarms. Open it only if you trust the person or website you got it from.
What is eicar_com.zip?
eicar_com.zip is a ZIP archive, about 184 bytes. VirusTotal first saw it on May 23, 2006.
How many antivirus engines detected eicar_com.zip?
62 of the 68 antivirus engines that checked it flag eicar_com.zip, including Microsoft and Kaspersky. We weigh which engines flagged it and what else the scan found, not just the count.
Has eicar_com.zip been seen before?
This exact file is listed in MalwareBazaar, a public malware database, first listed on Jul 3, 2024. MalwareBazaar accepts automated uploads; the Safe rating weighed that listing against the other evidence and does not rely on it.
What is the SHA-256 hash of eicar_com.zip?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of eicar_com.zip is 2546dcffc5ad854d4ddc64fbf056871cd5a00f2471cb7a5bfd4ac23b6e9eedad, and its MD5 is 6ce6f415d8475545be5ba114f208b0ff. 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 open or extract eicar_com.zip?
We found nothing harmful in eicar_com.zip. 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 eicar_com.zip?
This report reflects the scan on Sep 28, 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.

Scanned by
JackStaff

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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.