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Verdict Safe

Analyzed , 1 month ago

Is kernel32.dll safe? Yes, no threats found.

Unsigned DLL with zero engine detections and no malicious sandbox findings.

Moderate evidence · No engine flags it, but no publisher signature confirms who made it.

Use it as usual if it came from the official source

Good practice2 tips

We found nothing harmful in this file.

  1. Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.

  2. Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.

No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.

Why we think so

Share this file report

kernel32.dll: Safe — 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

0 of 71 flagged

  • Flagged 0
  • No detection 71
  • No result 4
Filekernel32.dll885.7 kBSHA-256 5d76fd787456…74e472
  • Code signing Unsigned
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 1mo ago
None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

2 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

Analyst conclusion

All 71 antivirus engines that checked it returned clean. The file is unsigned and but no malicious indicators were found in sandbox or external intelligence.

Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
  • contactedHosts is null — host-reputation cross-check incomplete; cannot confirm whether 162.159.36.2 is known malicious.

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 not needed or not applicable. 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
  • 18sandbox rule tags
  • 7spawned processes
  • 0network contacts
  • 1filesystem & mutex artifacts

Chapter 04

Technical details

None 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 not needed or not applicable. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.

SourceStatusResultChecked
Antivirus enginesVirusTotal · 75 enginesCompletePositive signal: 0 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 scannerNot neededThe sandbox recorded no contacted hosts to checkNo date recorded
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesCompleteNo rule matched
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Sep 2, 2026, 1:46 PM UTC
SHA-256
5d76fd7874569a4bcbbb29fbb3cbd8d4cbfa13f759d0381f51ed576e0774e472
SHA-1
a18487656645203fedb6390414460c7c274cf356
MD5
49d76c9d2f17de8b4cc228b527e7ab81

About this file

kernel32.dll is a Win32 DLL file of 885.7 kB.

Type and size
Win32 DLL · 885.7 kB
Signer
UnsignedNo code signature.
First seen
Aug 29, 2026On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
1 sourceRarely seen: few people have submitted this exact file.
Packer
None detected
Entropy
4.15 of 8

First scanned

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 6 questions people ask most about this file.

Is kernel32.dll safe?
We found nothing harmful in kernel32.dll. None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.
What is kernel32.dll?
kernel32.dll is a Windows library (DLL), about 885.7 kB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on Aug 29, 2026.
How many antivirus engines detected kernel32.dll?
None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag kernel32.dll. That is a good sign, but not proof, so we also weigh who made it, how widely it is used and what it did in a test run.
What is the SHA-256 hash of kernel32.dll?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of kernel32.dll is 5d76fd7874569a4bcbbb29fbb3cbd8d4cbfa13f759d0381f51ed576e0774e472, and its MD5 is 49d76c9d2f17de8b4cc228b527e7ab81. 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.
Is it safe to use kernel32.dll?
We found nothing harmful in kernel32.dll. The main caveat is where you got it: attackers sometimes spread malware under the name of real software, so get it from the official website. If your own antivirus warns about it, check the source before you ignore the warning.
How up to date is this analysis of kernel32.dll?
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.

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This report and its SHA-256 fingerprint are public, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer; documents and images are listed by type instead of their file name. A file we had not seen before is uploaded to VirusTotal, whose security partners and subscribers can download it; MalwareTips deletes its own copy after the scan. If you ran this file and are worried, scan your device with up-to-date security software.