Suspicious
Unsigned RustDesk remote desktop executable triggers process injection and direct IP contact heuristics despite low antivirus detections and clean runtime verdicts.
59e9e842608536f103…763689f95cThe reasoning behind this verdict
The MT AI Engine weighs every signal from this scan — antivirus detections, sandbox behaviour, code signing, prevalence and historical matches — to reach a single, evidence-based verdict.
Low engine hits (1 tier1 generic) paired with high-severity synthesis heuristics on injection and C2-like IP contacts raise concerns for an unsigned remote access tool. RustDesk is a known legitimate product, and behaviors align with self-extraction/installation (Flutter DLLs, AppData drop). Clean sandbox, no malicious children/hosts, and perf mutexes counter pure malware intent. Medium prevalence supports commodity software over targeted threat. Overall mixed signals warrant suspicion without full malicious confirmation.
Each signal cites a concrete token from the evidence the arbiter saw — engine name, MITRE technique, signer string, or an exact count.
DrWeb (tier1) detects Trojan.Siggen32.18113
MalwareTips.Synth.ProcessInjection fired high severity with evidence svchost.exe
contactedIps includes 209.250.254.15, 49.12.46.241 (direct IP contacts, no domains)
communityComments THOR: SUSP_Unsigned_RuskDesk_Remote_Desktop_Nov25
fileName 'rustdesk.exe' + tags detect-debug-environment, executes-dropped-file
- Low AV ratio (4/72, mostly generic heuristics)
- 16 tier1 engines clean (e.g., Kaspersky, ESET)
- Filename matches legitimate RustDesk remote tool
- No malicious sandbox/child/host verdicts
- Perf mutexes suggest benign querying
- Unsigned executable
- Process injection heuristic (T1055, svchost.exe)
- LSASS access (even if perf-related)
- Direct IP contacts bypassing DNS (Synth.DirectIpC2)
- Anti-analysis (detect-debug-environment)
- Self-drops and executes files
Treat as potentially unwanted; download official signed RustDesk from rustdesk.com if needed. Delete and scan system if obtained from untrusted source.
What this file does
What it attempted when executed in an isolated sandbox
High concern: Hides inside another running program to evade antivirus.
High concern: Records what you type — keylogger behaviour.
High concern: Talks to a remote server to take commands or send out your data.
High concern: Encrypts your files and demands payment — ransomware behaviour.
High concern: Tries to disable or bypass your security software.
Moderate concern: Obfuscates or packs its code to avoid detection.
Moderate concern: Runs hidden system commands (script or shell).
Translated from the file's technical behaviour during analysis. It never ran on your device.
What to do now
We couldn't fully clear this file. Treat it with caution.
Don't run it unless you're certain it came from a source you trust.
Check where you got it — an email attachment or a random download link is a red flag.
If you're unsure, delete it. You can always re-download a clean copy from the official source.
If you're still unsure, scan it again in a day or two — detections often catch up on newer files.
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.
- 209.250.254.15
- 49.12.46.241
- 224.0.0.251
- 8.8.8.8
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\rustdesk\desktop_drop_plugin.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\rustdesk\desktop_multi_window_plugin.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\rustdesk\dylib_virtual_display.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\rustdesk\file_selector_windows_plugin.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\rustdesk\flutter_custom_cursor_plugin.dll
- %TEMP%\nwga122.tmp
- %APPDATA%\rustdesk\config\rustdesk2.2904_threadid(20)_1768066639677635900
- %APPDATA%\rustdesk\config\rustdesk_local.2904_threadid(34)_1768066644197019800
- %APPDATA%\rustdesk\config\rustdesk.2904_threadid(11)_1768066642439700900
- %APPDATA%\rustdesk\config\rustdesk_hwcodec.2904_threadid(15)_1768066641843475000
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Lsa_Perf_Library_Lock_PID_b58
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\PerfNet_Perf_Library_Lock_PID_b58
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\.NETFramework_Perf_Library_Lock_PID_b58
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\PerfDisk_Perf_Library_Lock_PID_b58
- \Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\UGTHRSVC_Perf_Library_Lock_PID_b58
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 52393a53c147ab7e1900…faa698Never scannednever seen before
- 74b3152a28d4f1a4fff4…89ff70Never scannednever seen before
- 140aec3067d58ff56356…a8f041Never scannednever seen before
- 58289da261d1913b136d…e90448Never scannednever seen before
- 3feb445086c26cc0db51…e61522Never scannednever seen before
- b8520bb0397257021199…4f87c0Never scannednever seen before
- 4d6ecc2b455713825760…5b3488Never scannednever seen before
- 114b57c05ad15aa9f3e1…24b754Never scannednever seen before
- 76eecafc726720f274c6…c3bcc8Never scannednever seen before
- 435a7f4cf6e2fb449ac3…287d54Never scannednever seen before
YARA & heuristic rule matches
A researcher-curated or high-severity heuristic rule matched this sample. These rules target specific malware families and are near-definitive.
MITRE T1055 (Process Injection) observed — CreateRemoteThread / APC / reflective-DLL injection. The payload is being smuggled into a legitimate process to bypass AV hooks.
EvidenceC:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k NetworkService -pSandbox observed process activity targeting LSASS (Windows credential store). Legitimate software has no business reading LSASS memory — this is Mimikatz-shape behaviour.
EvidenceC:\Windows\system32\lsass.exeSample contacted 3 external IP address(es) and zero domains. Benign software virtually always uses DNS; no-DNS direct-IP C2 is a strong malware indicator because it bypasses reputation systems and dodges domain-based blocklists.
Evidence209.250.254.15 · 49.12.46.241 · 8.8.8.8
4 detections across 76 engines
Section entropy & packers
Section-level entropy and packer detection from the PE header. Nothing suspicious here — entropy is within the normal range for unpacked code.
How widely this file has been seen
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Forensic fingerprint
- File name
- rustdesk.exe
- Size
- 23.02 MB
- MIME type
- (unknown)
- Detected type
- Win32 EXE
- SHA-256
- 59e9e842608536f1037bd03d90b0bbb666a26a792882cc0402275d763689f95c
- MD5
- 83f669d202c3aa097aadeccd36791b13
- SHA-1
- 8c0aae1dbddf12aef03ded5bd36b11638138e744
- PE imphash
- 1728f5830d9188240379efd54db72133
- First seen (VT)
- 1/8/2026, 10:59:20 PM
- Last analysis (VT)
- 4/3/2026, 9:48:55 AM
- First scan (MalwareTips)
- 4/21/2026, 2:14:50 PM
- Last scan (MalwareTips)
- 4/24/2026, 1:27:34 AM
Safety FAQ
Common questions about rustdesk.exe, answered from the scan data above.
- rustdesk.exe is suspicious — treat it as unsafe until you're sure. 4 of 76 antivirus engines flag it, which isn't a strong consensus but is enough to be cautious. Don't run it unless you fully trust where it came from, and prefer downloading the software fresh from its official site.
- rustdesk.exe is a Windows executable program, about 23 MB. We identify a file by its cryptographic hash rather than its name, because the same filename can be reused by completely different files — the hash below is the reliable fingerprint.
- 4 of 76 antivirus engines flagged rustdesk.exe, 4 of them as outright malicious. A small number of detections can include false positives, so we weigh which engines flagged it and what else the file does, not just the raw count.
- Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet to stop the malware communicating or spreading. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software (such as Malwarebytes) and quarantine everything it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from a DIFFERENT, clean device — many threats log keystrokes or steal saved credentials. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch closely for fraud and alert your bank. 5) For a confirmed infection, the most reliable fix is to back up your personal files and reinstall the operating system for a clean start.
- To remove rustdesk.exe: 1) restart into Safe Mode (Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download a tool) so the malware doesn't auto-start. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software and let it quarantine or delete the detections. 3) Delete the original rustdesk.exe file and empty the Recycle Bin/Trash. 4) Check your browser extensions, startup items, and scheduled tasks for anything unfamiliar. 5) Reboot and scan again to confirm it's gone. If detections keep coming back, a clean operating-system reinstall is the most dependable cure.
- rustdesk.exe is classified as adware or a potentially unwanted program (PUA) — not always destructive, but it bundles ads, trackers, or unwanted changes you didn't ask for. Knowing the family matters because it tells you the likely impact — data theft, remote control, file encryption, or unwanted ads — and guides the cleanup.
- The SHA-256 hash of rustdesk.exe is 59e9e842608536f1037bd03d90b0bbb666a26a792882cc0402275d763689f95c, and its MD5 is 83f669d202c3aa097aadeccd36791b13. This hash is the file's unique fingerprint — two files with the same SHA-256 are identical. Use it to confirm you're looking at exactly this file (not just one with the same name) when comparing against antivirus databases or a download's published checksum.
- This report reflects the scan run on April 21, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of rustdesk.exe is fixed — but antivirus coverage improves over time, so a file that looks clean today can pick up detections later (and vice-versa). If you need the latest picture, MalwareTips staff can re-run the analysis from scratch.
Reviews & malware reports(0)
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