File scan report
Verdict Suspicious
Is Screen Connect. Client Service. exe safe? Treat it as suspicious.
Remote-administration tool signed by ConnectWise with three major detections and offensive MITRE techniques.
Why Suspicious? 14 antivirus engines flag it and one of our detection rules matched it.
Moderate evidence · More than one sign points to a problem, but nothing confirms it is harmful.
Treat as suspicious; block pending further verification or replace with an officially signed build from ConnectWise.
What to do now4 steps
Some signs point to a problem, but nothing confirms it is harmful. Treat it with caution.
What to do
Don't run it unless you're sure where it came from.
Check where you got it: an unexpected attachment, a link someone sent you or a re-upload is a red flag.
If you can't confirm where it came from, delete it. If you need the program, download it again from the publisher's own website.
If you already ran it
Stop using it, run a full scan with your antivirus and watch for unexpected behavior or security alerts.
Not sure what to do?
Ask the MalwareTips community before you run it. If you already ran it, follow the cleanup guide.
- Ask for free help on the MalwareTips forumWindows malware removal help, answered by volunteers. (opens malwaretips.com in a new tab)
- Remove malware from WindowsStep-by-step cleanup with free tools. (opens malwaretips.com in a new tab)
Paste this report's link in your topic so helpers can see what was found.
Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.
Antivirus results
14 of 71 flagged
- Flagged 14
- No detection 57
- No result 4
- Code signing Signer not verified
- Test run Completed
- First seen 1y ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
4 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
14 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag the file, three of them major, and hacktoolConfirmed is true. The signer has only two prior samples and zero clean history. Similar ConnectWise-signed files were previously rated suspicious.
The combination of remoteadmin detections from major antivirus engines, confirmed hacking tool labels, and offensive persistence techniques outweighs the medium prevalence and lack of malicious files it created. The signer lacks a track record of clean samples, and prior files from the same signer received suspicious verdicts. Incomplete host-reputation data prevents a stronger malicious call.
What We Detected
14 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flagged ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe. Three major antivirus engines returned remoteadmin or hacking tool labels; two of them converged on the ConnectWise family. The binary is signed by ConnectWise, but that signer has only two historical samples and a 0 % safe rate.
Threat Behavior
The sample contacted 15 external IP addresses without domain names and wrote multiple temporary files. No malicious files it created were found, and external-intel sources returned no hits. The file shows high-entropy sections but no packers.
What To Do Now
Do not run the file on production systems. If remote-administration capability is required, obtain the official ConnectWise distribution from the vendor site and verify its digital signature against a known-good hash. Keep security software enabled.
Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
- No contacted-host reputation result was saved — host-reputation cross-check incomplete; cannot confirm malicious IPs.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- medium prevalence (98 sources)
- no malicious files it created
- no external-intel malicious hits
- 3 major antivirus engines flagged it with remoteadmin consensus
- A hacking-tool label is corroborated by several engines
- signer has 0/2 clean historical samples
- offensive MITRE techniques and observed
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; no test environment rated what it did as risky.
Test run summary
Capture complete- 13sandbox rule tags
- 7spawned processes
- 4network contacts
- 29filesystem & mutex artifacts
What the test run showed
What the file did on a test computer
Confirmed in the test run
Moderate concern: Ran commands or a script on the test computer.
Moderate concern: Checked whether it was running on a test computer.
Note: Talked to servers over the internet during the test run.
Note: Read basic details of the test computer, such as its Windows version.
Note: Loaded extra code modules while running.
Note: Checked which security software was installed on the test computer.
Sandbox labels we could not confirm (common in safe files too)
Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as creating a service; no new service 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.
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 7: FileSeen in the test run
ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe
46457d98fb1c53bbccb66c1015eb831355f30c8bf8e6f25cf3183aac2a5fd8ab
Uploaded file
- 2
Processes
What ran
- Evidence 2 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run
program.exe
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\program.exe"
Test run - Evidence 3 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run
46457d98fb1c53bbccb66c1015eb831355f30c8bf8e6f25cf3183aac2a5fd8ab.exe
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
- 2
Files
Created or changed
- Evidence 4 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run
program.exe.log
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\CLR_v4.0_32\UsageLogs\program.exe.log
Test run - Evidence 5 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run
GUM2AE3.tmp
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUM2AE3.tmp
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
- 2
Network
Hosts contacted
- Evidence 6 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run
23.32.75.34
Contacted during the test run.
Test run - Evidence 7 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run
23.46.228.41
Contacted during the test run.
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
7 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.
What this file did when executed
This file was run in a sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Techniques observed in the sandbox
13MITRE ATT&CK techniques the sandbox mapped. Highlighted ones are rare in normal software; the others are common in legitimate programs too.
- T1007
- T1036
- T1059· Runs commands
- T1071· Application protocol
- T1082· System recon
- T1106
- T1129· Loads modules
- T1497· Sandbox evasion
- T1518.001· Checks your AV
- T1543.003· Service install
- T1562.001· Disables security
- T1569.002
- T1574.002· Execution hijack
Observed activity
Processes started
7Programs the file ran, with their command lines.
program.exe"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\program.exe"46457d98fb1c53bbccb66c1015eb831355f30c8bf8e6f25cf3183aac2a5fd8ab.exe%SAMPLEPATH%\46457d98fb1c53bbccb66c1015eb831355f30c8bf8e6f25cf3183aac2a5fd8ab.execmd.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe cmd /c sc create SfetF binpath= "C:\Users\user\Desktop\screenconnect.clientservice.exe" >> C:\servicereg.log 2>&1sc.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\sc.exe sc create SfetF binpath= "C:\Users\user\Desktop\screenconnect.clientservice.exe"cmd.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe cmd /c sc start SfetF >> C:\servicestart.log 2>&1sc.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\sc.exe sc start SfetF
Show all 7 entries for processes started
screenconnect.clientservice.exeC:\Users\user\Desktop\screenconnect.clientservice.exe
Network contacts
44 hosts, listed as 4 addresses. Links show the host and path only.
- IP address
23.32.75.34 - IP address
23.46.228.41 - IP address
104.98.118.176 - IP address
92.38.145.145
Files
17Files the file created, changed or deleted.
- Written
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\CLR_v4.0_32\UsageLogs\program.exe.log - Written
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUM2AE3.tmp - Written
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUMD8DB.tmp - Written
C:\Program Files\Google\Policies - Written
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUM7C4F.tmp - Written
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUMA360.tmp
Show all 17 entries for files
- Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\production - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows Security Health\Logs - Written
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\LocalLow\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\Content\7423F88C7F265F0DEFC08EA88C3BDE45_AA1E8580D4EBC816148CE81268683776 - Written
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\LocalLow\Microsoft\CryptnetUrlCache\MetaData\7423F88C7F265F0DEFC08EA88C3BDE45_AA1E8580D4EBC816148CE81268683776 - Written
C:\servicereg.log - Written
C:\servicestart.log - Written
\Device\ConDrv\\Connect - Deleted
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUM2AE3.tmp - Deleted
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUMD8DB.tmp - Deleted
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUM7C4F.tmp - Deleted
C:\Program Files\Google\Temp\GUMA360.tmp
Registry and auto-start
2Settings the file changed, including ways to start again after a restart.
- Deleted
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Windows Live ID Token Issuer\Certificates\B68D8F953E551914324E557E6164D68B9926650C - Deleted
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\Windows Live ID Token Issuer\Certificates\2C85006A1A028BCC349DF23C474724C055FDE8B6
Mutexes
10Named locks a program uses so only one copy runs; malware families often reuse them.
\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SessionImmersiveColorMutex\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:2508:168:WilStaging_02\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:6976:304:WilStaging_02\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:6976:120:WilError_03\BaseNamedObjects\Local\ZonesCacheCounterMutex\BaseNamedObjects\Local\ZonesLockedCacheCounterMutex
Show all 10 entries for mutexes
\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:596:304:WilStaging_02\BaseNamedObjects\Local\Identity CRL v2 File Access\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:6388:168:WilStaging_02\BaseNamedObjects\Local\SM0:5672:168:WilStaging_02
Sandbox background — not the file
24The analysis machine's own processes and connections, recorded in every run.
- VM process
UI0Detect.exeC:\Windows\System32\UI0Detect.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google356_679134695\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google3996_1102502753\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google3976_1025642541\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google8_2133888018\bin\updater.exe - VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google3656_1940678878\bin\updater.exe
Show all 24 entries for sandbox background — not the file
- VM process
updater.exeC:\Program Files\Google3912_1744554915\bin\updater.exe - VM process
conhost.exeC:\Windows\System32\conhost.exe C:\Windows\system32\conhost.exe 0xffffffff -ForceV1 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:700:700:2800:4000 - VM host
20.99.133.109 - VM host
151.101.22.172 - VM host
23.55.140.42 - VM host
192.168.0.5 - VM host
20.69.140.28 - VM host
23.196.145.221 - VM host
a83f:8110:0:0:4d88:21:0:0 - VM host
192.168.0.69 - VM host
a83f:8110:cce1:d301:10:0:0:0 - VM host
192.168.0.44 - VM host
192.168.0.43 - VM host
104.71.214.69 - VM host
192.168.0.11 - VM host
184.27.218.92 - VM host
a83f:8110:3402:0:0:0:1700:0
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 5 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache. 5 have no saved verdict and were not checked; that is missing coverage, not a finding.
- d8988d672d6915b46946…cc146bNot checkedno saved verdict
- 596ccc911c1772735aac…43fa7bNot checkedno saved verdict
- 03216862eb8f2b2910a9…3120a8Not checkedno saved verdict
- 8023e182043078236767…ac0bf4Not checkedno saved verdict
- e5b5e2809e495c7ea949…f912faNot checkedno saved verdict
Chapter 04
Technical details
14 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; a signature that did not verify.
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.
Engines that flagged it 14
- DrWeb (major engine)Program.RemoteAdmin.975
- Ikarus (major engine)PUA.ConnectWise
- Kaspersky (major engine)not-a-virus:HEUR:RemoteAdmin.Win32.ConnectWise.gen
- TrellixENS (major engine)Artemis!67ACA444BE6C
- huorongHackTool/ConnectWiseControl.i
- JiangminTrojan.PSW.Stealer.dwe
- KingsoftWin32.HACKTOOL.RemoteAdmin.v
- MaxSecureTrojan.Malware.331091061.susgen
File fingerprint
- Last analyzed
- Oct 17, 2026, 1:22 PM UTC
- SHA-256
46457d98fb1c53bbccb66c1015eb831355f30c8bf8e6f25cf3183aac2a5fd8ab- SHA-1
637238c64fd0749e6f31abcaaadfb2b4a71e0146- MD5
67aca444be6cc9110dfa9d85e630bc2b
About this file
ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 95.3 kB.
- Type and size
- Win32 EXE · 95.3 kB
- Signer
- ConnectWise, LLC (unverified signature)Worth noting: Malware sometimes copies or steals a company's signature, so this does not mean that company made it.
- First seen
- Jun 18, 2025On VirusTotal.
- Submitted by
- 98 distinct sources
- Packer
- None detected
- Entropy
- 7.62 of 8
First scanned Updated
Antivirus consensus
14 of 71 engines flagged this file
4 of the 75 engines returned no result for this file (file type not supported, or the scan did not finish), so they did not check it.
The 14 detections come from 12 independent scan engines: several vendors license the same engine, so their results are one vote.
- Tier-118 engines4flagged
- Tier-236 engines5flagged
- Low-trust17 engines5flagged
View all 75 engine results
- DrWebMalicious: Program.RemoteAdmin.975
- huorongMalicious: HackTool/ConnectWiseControl.i
- IkarusMalicious: PUA.ConnectWise
- JiangminMalicious: Trojan.PSW.Stealer.dwe
- KasperskyMalicious: not-a-virus:HEUR:RemoteAdmin.Win32.ConnectWise.gen
- KingsoftMalicious: Win32.HACKTOOL.RemoteAdmin.v
- MaxSecureMalicious: Trojan.Malware.331091061.susgen
- McAfeeDMalicious: ti!46457D98FB1C
- RisingMalicious: Hacktool.ConnectWise!8.13A88 (CLOUD)
- SkyhighMalicious: Artemis!Trojan
- TencentMalicious: Win32.Trojan.Generic.Anhl
- TrellixENSMalicious: Artemis!67ACA444BE6C
- VBA32Malicious: TrojanPSW.Stealer
- XcitiumMalicious: ApplicUnwnt@#2rc8n0g5pn2ob
- AcronisClean
- AhnLab-V3Clean
- AlibabaClean
- alibabacloudClean
- ALYacClean
- Antiy-AVLClean
- APEXClean
- ArcabitClean
- AvastClean
- Avast-MobileNo result
- AVGClean
- AviraClean
- BitDefenderClean
- BitDefenderFalxNo result
- BkavClean
- CAT-QuickHealClean
- ClamAVClean
- CMCClean
- CrowdStrikeClean
- CTXClean
- CylanceClean
- CynetClean
- DeepInstinctClean
- ElasticClean
- EmsisoftClean
- ESET-NOD32Clean
- F-SecureClean
- FortinetClean
- GDataClean
- GoogleClean
- GridinsoftClean
- K7AntiVirusClean
- K7GWClean
- LionicClean
- MalwarebytesClean
- MicrosoftClean
- MicroWorld-eScanClean
- NANO-AntivirusClean
- PaloaltoClean
- PandaClean
- SangforClean
- SentinelOneClean
- SophosClean
- SUPERAntiSpywareClean
- SymantecClean
- SymantecMobileInsightNo result
- TACHYONClean
- tehtrisClean
- TrapmineClean
- TrendMicroClean
- TrendMicro-HouseCallClean
- TrustlookNo result
- VaristClean
- VIPREClean
- VirITClean
- ViRobotClean
- WebrootClean
- YandexClean
- ZillyaClean
- ZoneAlarmClean
- ZonerClean
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Behavioral heuristics matched patterns associated with malware. Corroborating evidence determines how much weight they carry.
The sandbox recorded persistence through a Windows service. Installers set these up legitimately for their own updaters and services, so this is context, not proof of malicious intent.
EvidenceC:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe cmd /c sc create SfetF binpath= "C:\Users\user\Desktop\screenconnect.clientservice.exe" >> C:\servicereg.log 2>&1
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.
Chapter 05
Questions & answers
Short answers to the 7 questions people ask most about this file.
Is ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe safe, or is it malware?
What is ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe?
I already downloaded and ran ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe — what should I do?
Is ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of ScreenConnect.ClientService.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.