Is hoot.exe safe?
Only Trapmine flagged this executable with a generic machine-learning label, while tier-one engines, runtime observation, host checks, and external intelligence supplied no corroboration.
The sole detection came from Trapmine, a low-trust engine, using a generic machine-learning label; none of the tier-one engines detected a threat. One completed sandbox run found no offensive behavior, and complete reputation checks of the observed hosts found no malicious or suspicious matches.
4048090b3bba4939f5…3b80f54255dcd1Recommended 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.
The sole detection came from Trapmine, a low-trust engine, using a generic machine-learning label; none of the tier-one engines detected a threat. One completed sandbox run found no offensive behavior, and complete reputation checks of the observed hosts found no malicious or suspicious matches.
Only 1 of 76 engines flagged the sample, and that result was Trapmine's generic machine-learning label. No tier-one engine detected malware, while 13 tier-one engines reported the file undetected. One completed runtime observation produced no malicious sandbox verdict, offensive techniques, persistence, or dropped files. All four distinct observed network hosts were checked, with no malicious or suspicious reputation matches. The unsigned status limits publisher assurance, but no engine consensus, malicious child, packing indicator, or external intelligence hit supports the lone detection.
What We Detected
Trapmine was the only engine among 76 to flag the executable, using the generic label “suspicious.low.ml.score.” No tier-one engine detected malware, and there was no family consensus. The executable is unsigned, so its publisher cannot be authenticated.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox run produced no malicious verdict and recorded zero offensive techniques, no persistence indicators, and no dropped files. The four distinct observed hosts were fully checked against the available reputation cache; none was listed as malicious or suspicious. No MalwareBazaar record or YARAify rule matched the sample, and static PE analysis found no likely packing or high-entropy code.
What To Do Now
The evidence is most consistent with an isolated heuristic false positive. Keep endpoint protection enabled, obtain the file from its expected source, and verify its SHA-256 hash before running it if its origin is uncertain.
Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
- signing.applicable=true while signing.signed=false, so there is no verified publisher identity or signer history.
- Trapmine labeled the sample 'suspicious.low.ml.score', although this is an uncorroborated generic result from a low-trust engine.
- The file has only 4 submissions from 4 sources, providing limited prevalence evidence despite being observed for 276 days.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- Zero tier-one malicious detections among 76 engines.
- One completed sandbox run had no malicious verdict and zero offensive techniques.
- All four distinct observed hosts had no malicious or suspicious reputation matches.
- No malicious child or dropped file was observed.
- No MalwareBazaar or YARAify match, likely packing, or high-entropy code was found.
- The Win32 executable is unsigned and has no verified publisher identity.
- Trapmine produced one generic machine-learning detection.
- Prevalence is limited to 4 submissions from 4 sources.
Keep endpoint protection enabled and use the file only if it came from the expected source. If provenance is uncertain, verify the SHA-256 hash with the publisher or obtain a fresh copy from the official distribution channel.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete1 of 76 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial4 of 5 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.
YARA
CompleteRule evaluation completed with no recorded matches.
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
- 2MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 2spawned processes
- 5network contacts
- 6filesystem & mutex artifacts
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.
- 198.187.3.20.in-addr.arpa
- deff.nelreports.net
- deff.nelreports.net.akamaized.net
- a1858.dscd.akamai.net
- 162.159.36.2
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\MediaResources\
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\MediaResources\DirectSound\
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\MediaResources\DirectSound\Speaker Configuration
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\MediaResources\DirectSound\Speaker Configuration\Speaker Configuration
- Local\DirectSound DllMain mutex (0x0000186C)
- DirectSound Administrator shared thread array (lock
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\DirectSound DllMain mutex (0x00000B08)
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\DirectSound Administrator shared thread array (lock
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\__DDrawExclMode__
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 0rule hits recorded
- 1 / 76engines flagged
- 4sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
1 of 76 antivirus engines flagged the file, including Trapmine.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 02
The hash has been submitted 4 times from 4 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 03
Scanned file: hoot.exe — 4048090b3bba4939f5177d63aaa5fdc49581bdea8822a95bd03b80f54255dcd1
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 04
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\hoot.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\user\Desktop\hoot.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Contacted host: 198.187.3.20.in-addr.arpa — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
Contacted host: deff.nelreports.net — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
The available sources did not agree on a named threat category.
MalwareBazaar, YARAify, and CIRCL hashlookup completed and returned no entries for this hash.
YARA rules
No matchesThe rule pass completed without a saved public match.
1 of 76 engines flagged this file
View all 76 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
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- hoot.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 7.7 MB
- Last analyzed
- Oct 8, 2026, 12:29 AM UTC
4048090b3bba4939f5177d63aaa5fdc49581bdea8822a95bd03b80f54255dcd1Safety & 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 hoot.exe safe?
What is hoot.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected hoot.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of hoot.exe?
Is it safe to run hoot.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of hoot.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.