File scan report
Verdict Malicious
Is Loader.
No major antivirus engines identified it, so its exact family is uncertain, but the combined evidence is too strong to treat as a routine false positive.
Read the whole reasonShow less
Moderate evidence · Several antivirus engines agree.
If you already ran it, follow the steps below.
What to do now4 steps
This file is harmful. Don't run it, and remove it.
If you haven't run it
Don't run this file. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin.
If you already ran it
Disconnect the device from the internet, then run a full antivirus scan. Microsoft Defender Offline (Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options) also finds malware that hides while Windows runs.
If you typed passwords on the device after running it, change them from another device you trust.
If the scan keeps finding it, or the device still acts strangely, scan again with a second-opinion scanner from another company; if that doesn't fix it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.
If you already ran it, do these in order.
If you opened or installed it
Avoid banking and sign-ins on that device until it is clean. These free MalwareTips guides walk you through it.
- Trojan removal guideClear steps for Windows, Mac and Android. (opens malwaretips.com in a new tab)
- Remove malware from WindowsStep-by-step cleanup with free tools. (opens malwaretips.com in a new tab)
- Ask for free help on the MalwareTips forumWindows malware removal help, answered by volunteers. (opens malwaretips.com in a new tab)
Paste this report's link in your topic so helpers can see what was found.
Antivirus results
6 of 71 flagged
- Flagged 6
- No detection 65
- No result 4
- Code signing Unsigned
- Test run Completed
- First seen 27d ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
5 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
Six of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flagged the executable, including two smaller engines, although all major antivirus engines remained silent. More importantly, six malware-specific YARA rules matched patterns involving encoded URLs, anti-VM behavior, a suspicious loader artifact, and ransomware-associated code. The completed sandbox run mapped process injection and defense impairment, but it did not identify an injection target or issue an explicit malicious verdict. The file is unsigned and has no established publisher history to offset these signals. The family labels are inconsistent, so the evidence supports a generic trojan or loader assessment rather than a confident PulsarRAT, DonutLoader, Cobalt Strike, or VECT attribution.
What We Detected
Six of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flagged Loader.exe, representing six independent detections. CrowdStrike and DeepInstinct supplied smaller generic detections, while VBA32 named PulsarRAT; however, no major antivirus engines flagged it and there is no reliable family consensus. Six malware-specific YARA rules also matched, including rules for XOR-encoded URLs, broad anti-VM behavior, a suspicious Cobalt Strike-associated temporary filename, and VECT ransomware-associated code.
Threat Behavior
The single completed sandbox run mapped T1055, associated with process injection, and T1562.001, associated with impairing defenses. No target process was identified, so the T1055 mapping supports possible injection without proving its exact method. The run recorded no sample network contacts, dropped files, or persistence changes, and it produced no explicit malicious sandbox verdict. No complete contacted-host reputation result is available, although the run itself listed no sample contacts.
What To Do Now
Do not execute the file on a production or personal system. Quarantine or delete it unless it is required for authorized malware research, and keep security software enabled.
Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
- None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it' major detections flagged the sample, and there is no major family consensus.
- The single sandbox run produced no explicit malicious verdict and recorded no dropped files, persistence indicators, or sample network contacts.
- The malware-specific rules disagree on a family, spanning loader, anti-VM, Cobalt Strike, and ransomware-associated patterns, so the exact family remains uncertain.
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 major antivirus engines flagged the file.
- The single sandbox run recorded no dropped files, persistence changes, or sample network contacts.
- The executable does not appear packed and its code sections do not have unusually high entropy.
- Six malware-specific research rules matched loader, encoded-URL, anti-VM, and ransomware-associated patterns.
- The test run mapped possible process injection and impairment of security defenses.
- Six independent antivirus detections flagged the executable.
- The executable is unsigned and has no established publisher history.
- The generic filename and negative reputation provide little assurance about its origin.
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. 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- 15sandbox rule tags
- 2spawned processes
- 0network contacts
- 0filesystem & mutex artifacts
What the test run showed
What the file did on a test computer
Confirmed in the test run
Moderate concern: Contains packed or scrambled code that is harder to inspect (common in installers too).
Moderate concern: Checked whether it was running on a test computer.
Moderate concern: Hid files or windows on the test computer.
Note: Read the user name of the test computer.
Note: Read basic details of the test computer, such as its Windows version.
Note: Looked through folders on the test computer (most installers do this).
Note: Loaded extra code modules while running.
Sandbox labels we could not confirm (common in safe files too)
Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as code injection, but no injected program was recorded.
Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as contacting a server, but no contacted host was recorded.
Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as weakening security settings; no setting change was recorded.
Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as changing how Windows loads code; nothing confirms it.
This file was run on a test computer (a sandbox), not on yours. Labels we could not confirm are listed so you can see them, but they are not treated as evidence against the file.
Threat context
How trojans work
A trojan pretends to be something useful or harmless so that you run it. Once open, it does its real job in the background, 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
What happened in the test
Grouped by step. The order is not a timeline.
- 1
Input file
The submitted object
- Evidence 1 of 3: FileSeen in the test run
Loader.exe
3ea7b88c57e7c5642db4c9637f61bfd9d383160b561336e346e3fe3b2cacef4d
Uploaded file
- 2
Processes
What ran
- Evidence 2 of 3: ProcessSeen in the test run
Loader.exe
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\Loader.exe"
Test run - Evidence 3 of 3: ProcessSeen in the test run
Loader.exe
"C:\Users\user\Desktop\Loader.exe"
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
3 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.
Includes 15 mapped techniques and every process, file, registry and network entry.
Show the technical evidenceChapter 04
Technical details
6 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; no publisher signature.
Sources checked
Every check behind this verdict
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.
Engines that flagged it 6
- APEXMalicious
- CrowdStrikewin/malicious_confidence_60% (D)
- CylanceUnsafe
- DeepInstinctMALICIOUS
- MaxSecureTrojan.Malware.8328611.susgen
- VBA32BScope.Backdoor.MSIL.PulsarRAT
File fingerprint
- Last analyzed
- Oct 12, 2026, 4:14 PM UTC
- SHA-256
3ea7b88c57e7c5642db4c9637f61bfd9d383160b561336e346e3fe3b2cacef4d- SHA-1
bd543d85756ae8563503a9862d640b38217065a8- MD5
23536675d00df5b6af8a17933c82985d
About this file
Loader.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 304.6 kB.
- Type and size
- Win32 EXE · 304.6 kB
- Signer
- UnsignedNo code signature.
- First seen
- Sep 29, 2026On VirusTotal.
- Submitted by
- 79 distinct sources
- Packer
- None detected
- Entropy
- 6.56 of 8
First scanned
Includes every engine result (75), 11 matched signature rules, PE section entropy and packers and how widely the file has been seen.
Show the technical evidenceChapter 05
Questions & answers
Short answers to the 8 questions people ask most about this file.
Is Loader.exe a virus?
What is Loader.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected Loader.exe?
What should I do if I already ran Loader.exe?
How do I remove Loader.exe?
What kind of malware is Loader.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of Loader.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of Loader.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.