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Verdict Malicious

Analyzed , 1 month ago

Is setup.exe safe? No, we rate this exact file malicious.

23 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag the file, including five major detections on crack/hacking tool labels.

Read the whole reasonShow less

Strong evidence · Two or more major antivirus engines agree.

Don't install this file

If you already installed 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 installed it

  1. Don't install this file. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin.

If you already installed it

  1. 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.

  2. If you typed passwords on the device after running it, change them from another device you trust.

  3. 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.

Paste this report's link in your topic so helpers can see what was found.

Why we think so

Share this file report

setup.exe: Malicious — MalwareTips file scan

The link always shows the latest result for this exact file (its SHA-256 fingerprint).

Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.

Antivirus results

23 of 71 flagged

  • Flagged 23
  • No detection 48
  • No result 4
Filesetup.exe7.1 MBSHA-256 5c4105123bf8…6854d0
  • Code signing Unsigned
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 2y ago
23 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, including Microsoft and Symantec (Norton).

Chapter 02

Why we think so

4 points against it and 2 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

Analyst conclusion

The file is unsigned and contacts known suspicious hosts.

Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
  • contactedHosts.maliciousHosts.length=0 — no confirmed malicious hosts in cache
  • No dropped file is known to be malicious — all 10 files it created returned unknown verdicts

These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.

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
  • 29sandbox rule tags
  • 15spawned processes
  • 8network contacts
  • 37filesystem & 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: Checked whether it was running on a test computer.

  • Note: Read the user name of the test computer.

  • Note: Listed the programs running on 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.

Threat context

How cracked-software installers work

A crack or patch installer is one of the most common ways to spread trojans. Even if the program seems to work, it can install malware in the background.

Bottom line:There is no safe copy of a cracked installer: delete it, and get the software from its real publisher.

Recorded behavior

What happened in the test

Grouped by step. The order is not a timeline.

Seen in the test runWorked out from other results

  1. Input file

    The submitted object

    1
    1. Evidence 1 of 7: FileSeen in the test run

      setup.exe

      5c4105123bf84673cb3aeff2400fffbde35f3fc048ccbfe8a72614e7c76854d0

      Uploaded file

  2. Processes

    What ran

    2
    1. Evidence 2 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run

      software.exe

      "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\software.exe"

      Test run
    2. Evidence 3 of 7: ProcessSeen in the test run

      software.tmp

      "C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\is-UQBTG.tmp\software.tmp" /SL5="$60034,6446506,140800,C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\software.exe"

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

  3. Files

    Created or changed

    2
    1. Evidence 4 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run

      software.tmp

      C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\is-UQBTG.tmp\software.tmp

      Test run
    2. Evidence 5 of 7: Written fileSeen in the test run

      _setup64.tmp

      C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\is-I8DEG.tmp\_isetup\_setup64.tmp

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

  4. Network

    Hosts contacted

    2
    1. Evidence 6 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run

      23.62.210.8

      Contacted during the test run.

      Test run
    2. Evidence 7 of 7: Contacted hostSeen in the test run

      23.44.253.134

      Contacted during the test run.

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

7 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.

Chapter 04

Technical details

23 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 partial. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.

SourceStatusResultChecked
Antivirus enginesVirusTotal · 75 enginesCompleteRisk signal: 23 of 71 engines flagged it · 4 gave no result Details for antivirus engines
Sandbox runVirusTotal sandboxesCompleteRuntime behaviour was recorded Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerPartial3 of 17 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete Details for contacted hosts
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete5 community YARA rules (generic only) · 1 MalwareTips behaviour rule Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

Engines that flagged it 23

  • GData (major engine)Generic.Trojan.PSEB.1P9XTU
  • Microsoft (major engine)HackTool:Win32/crack
  • Sophos (major engine)Generic Reputation PUA (PUA)
  • Symantec (major engine)Trojan.Gen.MBT
  • TrellixENS (major engine)Artemis!80F64A1964F4
  • TrendMicro (major engine)Trojan.Win32.ZYX.USBLE826
  • TrendMicro-HouseCall (major engine)Trojan.Win32.ZYX.USBLE826
  • alibabacloudTrojan:Win/Crack.Gen
15 more in the full engine list

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Sep 2, 2026, 10:20 PM UTC
SHA-256
5c4105123bf84673cb3aeff2400fffbde35f3fc048ccbfe8a72614e7c76854d0
SHA-1
d9799b4761f9277abfd535ebb3882697f7a148f7
MD5
80f64a1964f441134509a6992c538578

About this file

setup.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 7.1 MB.

Type and size
Win32 EXE · 7.1 MB
Signer
UnsignedNo code signature.
First seen
Aug 24, 2024On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
3,447 distinct sources
Packer
None detected
Entropy
8.00 of 8

First scanned

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 8 questions people ask most about this file.

Is setup.exe a virus?
Yes. This copy of setup.exe (SHA-256 5c410512…54d0) is malicious. Other files with the same name can be different, so check the hash. Don't install it. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 23 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. Antivirus engines classify it as a trojan hidden in a cracked-software installer. If you've already installed it, see the steps below.
What is setup.exe?
setup.exe is a software installer, about 7.1 MB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on Aug 24, 2024.
How many antivirus engines detected setup.exe?
23 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag setup.exe, including Microsoft and Symantec (Norton). We weigh which engines flagged it and what else the scan found, not just the count. The rating comes from all the evidence together, not from this count alone.
What should I do if I already installed setup.exe?
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet. 2) Run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from another device you trust, starting with email and banking, and turn on two-step verification. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch your accounts and tell your bank about payments you don't recognise. 5) If the scan keeps finding it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.
How do I remove setup.exe?
To remove setup.exe: 1) run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 2) Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 3) Check Settings > Apps, your browser extensions, startup apps (Task Manager > Startup apps) and scheduled tasks for anything you don't recognise. 4) Restart and scan again. If it keeps coming back, scan from Safe Mode with Networking, or back up your files and reinstall Windows.
What kind of malware is setup.exe?
Antivirus engines classify setup.exe as a trojan hidden in a cracked-software installer.
What is the SHA-256 hash of setup.exe?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of setup.exe is 5c4105123bf84673cb3aeff2400fffbde35f3fc048ccbfe8a72614e7c76854d0, and its MD5 is 80f64a1964f441134509a6992c538578. Two files with the same SHA-256 are identical, so use it to check you have exactly this file, not just one with the same name.
How up to date is this analysis of setup.exe?
This report reflects the scan on Sep 2, 2026. A file's fingerprint never changes, but antivirus engines keep learning, so a rating can change later. To get a newer result, scan the file again: we refresh the antivirus results when the saved ones are out of date.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

Scanned by
MrDrMe

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