Threat LensFile scan report

Is setup.exe safe?

Verdict
Safe

No antivirus engine identified malware in this long-established installer, though unsigned code, possible process injection, and unchecked IP reputation justify ordinary caution.

All 76 antivirus engines returned no malware detection, including 17 tier-1 engines, and the file has circulated since 2006 across 120 sources. One sandbox mapped possible process injection and direct-IP traffic, but produced no malicious sandbox verdict; because host reputation was not checked completely, use only a trusted copy and keep endpoint protection enabled.

Install with normal care

Use only a copy obtained from a trusted source and verify its SHA-256 with the distributor if available. Keep endpoint protection enabled and investigate any unexpected network activity during installation.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
0of 76 flagged
Flagged 0No detection 76
Digital specimensetup.exe5d57a1d57e346fe6a6…d5895d7eb6701c
Size2.1 MB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxRuntime complete
First seen20y ago
Evidence3 priority signals
0 of 76 antivirus engines flagged the file.

Recommended next actions

01

Before installing

Install it only when it came from the developer's official site or an official app store.

02

If you already installed it

Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.

Chapter 02

Intelligence

The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.

82%Confidence
High
Analyst conclusion

All 76 antivirus engines returned no malware detection, including 17 tier-1 engines, and the file has circulated since 2006 across 120 sources. One sandbox mapped possible process injection and direct-IP traffic, but produced no malicious sandbox verdict; because host reputation was not checked completely, use only a trusted copy and keep endpoint protection enabled.

Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
  • The completed sandbox mapped activity to T1055 process injection, which is an offensive technique and remains a meaningful behavioral concern.
  • MalwareTips.Synth.DirectIpC2 fired after direct connections to addresses including 20.99.132.105 and 13.107.4.50; contactedHosts=null means no complete host-reputation result is available.
  • signing.signed=false for this Win32 EXE, so publisher identity and integrity cannot be authenticated.
  • Eight of the nine inspected dropped children have no saved verdict, limiting the strength of the child-file assessment.

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

Recommended action

Use only a copy obtained from a trusted source and verify its SHA-256 with the distributor if available. Keep endpoint protection enabled and investigate any unexpected network activity during installation.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

4 of 5 complete

Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    0 of 76 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Complete

    1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.

  • Network

    Partial

    16 runtime contacts were observed without a completed reputation cross-check.

  • YARA

    Complete

    2 signature or behavior rules matched.

  • External intel

    Complete

    3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.

Chapter 03

Behavior

Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.

Runtime flight recorder

Capture complete
  • 1isolated sandbox run
  • 7MITRE ATT&CK techniques
  • 7spawned processes
  • 16network contacts
  • 38filesystem & mutex artifacts
Recorded behavior

Attack story

Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.

ObservedDerived

7 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.

Chapter 04

Detection & Forensics

Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.

Chapter 05

Safety & 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.

  1. Recovery step 01

    Install it only when it came from the developer's official site or an official app store.

  2. Recovery step 02

    A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.

  3. 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.

6 evidence-based answers
Is setup.exe safe?
Evidence-based answer
setup.exe appears safe. 0 of 76 antivirus engines flagged it. Install it only when it came from the developer's official site or an official app store.
What is setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
setup.exe is a software installer, about 2.1 MB. Our analysis did not identify a verdict-driving threat signal. A file's name can be reused by different files, so we identify it by its cryptographic hash (below).
How many antivirus engines detected setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
None — 0 of 76 antivirus engines flagged setup.exe. That's reassuring, though it is not proof that a file is safe, so we also weigh its behaviour, identity, and reputation.
What is the SHA-256 hash of setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of setup.exe is 5d57a1d57e346fe6a60b6e01673804f61c865e0578bd6c52ffd5895d7eb6701c, and its MD5 is b3c41bade97a534d3865147a564b6ffc. 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.
Is it safe to install setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Based on the recorded evidence, setup.exe has a low observed risk. The important caveat is source: make sure you downloaded it from the official website or a trusted store, because attackers sometimes distribute malware-laced copies under a legitimate file's name. If your own antivirus flags it, verify the source and the exact hash before overriding the warning.
How up to date is this analysis of setup.exe?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on September 15, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of setup.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.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

The raw file is processed temporarily and is not retained after processing. Its hash and report are public and permanent, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer. Unknown files may be submitted to VirusTotal for analysis. If you ran this file on your computer and are worried, scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus and change critical passwords from a different device.