File scan report
Verdict Suspicious
Is setup.
Two engines identify crack or repack riskware, while conflicting runtime results and a concrete Windows hosts-file modification warrant caution despite broad prevalence.
Read the whole reasonShow less
Why Suspicious? 2 antivirus engines flag it, but no major engine agrees and one of our detection rules matched it.
Moderate evidence · More than one sign points to a problem, but nothing confirms it is harmful.
If it came from a link, an attachment or a stranger, delete it.
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 install 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 installed 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.
Antivirus results
2 of 62 flagged
- Flagged 2
- No detection 60
- No result 13
- Code signing Unsigned
- Test run Completed
- First seen 3y ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
5 points against it and 5 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
Only 2 of the 62 antivirus engines that checked it flagged this unsigned installer, and no major antivirus engines detected it. However, it modified the Windows hosts file and received conflicting runtime assessments, with one malicious and another clean result, so the evidence supports caution rather than a conclusive malware finding.
Malwarebytes and Webroot label the installer as crack or repack riskware, but no major antivirus engines detected it and no named malware family has been established. Runtime assessment is divided between malicious and clean, preventing that evidence from establishing intent on its own. The strongest concrete concern is modification of the Windows hosts file, which can redirect or block network destinations and is unusual for an ordinary game installer. Conversely, the file has 1,299 submitters, was first seen on Feb 20, 2023, and produced no current malicious-host or malicious-child finding. The generic community rules and unsupported process-injection mapping do not add meaningful evidence of malware activity.
What We Detected
Two of the 62 antivirus engines that checked it flagged the installer. Malwarebytes called it crack-related riskware, while Webroot called it repack riskware; no major antivirus engines detected it and no specific malware family was identified.
Threat Behavior
The runtime assessments conflict: one result was malicious and another was clean. The installer wrote to the Windows hosts file, a sensitive system file that can alter how destinations resolve or block access to selected services.
Balancing Evidence
The file was first seen on Feb 20, 2023 and has been submitted by 1,299 sources. No inspected child was harmful, the complete host-reputation cross-check found no current malicious or suspicious destinations, and the four community rules were generic rather than malware-specific. Those points reduce confidence that this is a conventional trojan, but they do not neutralize the hosts-file modification and conflicting evidence from the test run.
What To Do Now
Avoid running this installer on a primary system, especially if it came from a crack or repack source. Prefer an official software distribution channel, keep security software enabled, and remove any unexpected hosts-file entries if the installer has already run.
Where this verdict could be wrong5 caveats
- No major antivirus engines detected the file, while only 2 of the 62 antivirus engines that checked it flagged it.
- The runtime assessments conflict: a malicious result is accompanied by a clean result.
- The file has been submitted by 1,299 sources since Feb 20, 2023, which is substantial prevalence.
- No inspected child was malicious or suspicious, and the completed host cross-check found no current malicious or suspicious host verdicts.
- The four community YARA matches are generic and do not identify a malware family.
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 detected the file; only 2 of the 62 antivirus engines that checked it flagged it.
- The file has substantial history, with 1,299 submitters since Feb 20, 2023.
- No inspected child was identified as malicious or suspicious.
- The complete host-reputation cross-check found no current malicious or suspicious destinations.
- The executable showed no high-entropy code or recognized packer.
- The unsigned installer modifies the Windows hosts file, which can redirect or block network destinations.
- One runtime assessment returned a malicious result, although another returned clean.
- Two engines label the file as crack or repack riskware.
- The installer contacted a site associated with repacked game distribution.
- Similar files built with the same import table received three malicious and two cautionary prior assessments, although this is not strong identity evidence.
6 sources checked · all complete. See every source
Chapter 03
What it did in our test
It ran in 11 isolated tests; 1 test environment rated what it did as risky.
Test run summary
Capture complete- 11isolated sandbox runs
- 37sandbox rule tags
- 15spawned processes
- 41network contacts
- 40filesystem & 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: Ran commands or a script on the test computer.
Moderate concern: Used an unusual way to talk to a server.
Moderate concern: Downloaded a file during the test run.
Moderate concern: Unpacked hidden content while it ran.
Moderate concern: Checked whether it was running on a test computer.
Note: Read the network settings of the test computer.
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 recording keystrokes; no keylogging was confirmed.
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
setup.exe
4aa1a3242c16d6345deb8677d58c3a17f7c1e161379c16c02bfb00651f2bae9d
Uploaded file
- 2
Processes
What ran
- Evidence 2 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run
executable.exe
"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\executable.exe"
Test run - Evidence 3 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run
executable.tmp
"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\is-02SUE.tmp\executable.tmp" /SL5="$5011C,5376521,140800,C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\executable.exe"
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
- 2
Files
Created or changed
- Evidence 4 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run
hosts.check
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.check
Test run - Evidence 5 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run
hosts.backup
c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.backup
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
- 2
Network
Hosts contacted
- Evidence 6 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run
www.msftncsi.com
Contacted during the test run.
Test run - Evidence 7 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run
disqus.com
Contacted during the test run.
Test run - +1 more recorded observation
7 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.
Includes the sandbox verdicts, 37 mapped techniques, every process, file, registry and network entry, 10 dropped files and contacted-host reputation.
Show the technical evidenceChapter 04
Technical details
2 of the 62 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; no publisher signature.
Sources checked
Every check behind this verdict
6 sources checked · all complete. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.
Engines that flagged it 2
- MalwarebytesRiskWare.Crack
- WebrootW32.Riskware.Repack
File fingerprint
- Last analyzed
- Nov 6, 2026, 9:20 PM UTC
- SHA-256
4aa1a3242c16d6345deb8677d58c3a17f7c1e161379c16c02bfb00651f2bae9d- SHA-1
76e54352d103a750422a1a7ec0061f6c66853137- MD5
3aaba5bb8b02dc860374d8fdad947ea5
About this file
setup.exe says it is Football Manager 2023 Setup (Football Manager 2023), 6.0 MB.
- Claims to be
- Football Manager 2023 Setup (Football Manager 2023)From the file's own version information, written by whoever built it.
- Type and size
- Win32 EXE · 6.0 MB
- Signer
- UnsignedNo code signature.
- First seen
- Feb 20, 2023On VirusTotal.
- Submitted by
- 1,299 distinct sources
- Packer
- None detected
- Entropy
- 5.55 of 8
First scanned
Includes every engine result (75), 6 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 6 questions people ask most about this file.
Is setup.exe safe, or is it malware?
What is setup.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected setup.exe?
I already downloaded and installed setup.exe — what should I do?
What is the SHA-256 hash of setup.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of setup.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.