File scan report
Verdict Safe
Is kernel32.
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.
Good practice2 tips
We found nothing harmful in this file.
Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.
No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.
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
- Code signing Unsigned
- Test run Completed
- First seen 1mo ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
2 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
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.
Zero detections across major, smaller and less reliable engines removes the usual malware signal. Sandbox execution produced only techniques common in legitimate software and no malicious verdict. Lack of signing and rarity are neutral for a system DLL that may be a test build or renamed component.
What We Detected
75 antivirus engines scanned the file; none flagged it malicious or suspicious. The DLL is unsigned and first appeared on Aug 29, 2026 from a single source.
Threat Behavior
One sandbox execution recorded 18 MITRE techniques common in legitimate software and one direct-IP connection (162.159.36.2) with no domain. No offensive techniques, files it created, or persistence mechanisms were observed. External intelligence sources returned no matches.
What To Do Now
Keep Windows Defender and other security software enabled. If the file is required, place it in an isolated test environment and monitor for unexpected outbound traffic until its legitimacy is confirmed by the software vendor.
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.
- Zero detections across 75 engines
- No malicious sandbox verdict
- No external-intel hits
- Unsigned DLL
- Rare and recently observed
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
What this file did when executed
This file was run in a sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Techniques observed in the sandbox
18MITRE ATT&CK techniques the sandbox mapped. Highlighted ones are rare in normal software; the others are common in legitimate programs too.
- T1012
- T1027· Obfuscated code
- T1027.002· Obfuscated code
- T1033· Reads user info
- T1057· Lists programs
- T1059· Runs commands
- T1070.006· Covers its tracks
- T1071· Application protocol
- T1082· System recon
- T1083· Scans your files
- T1112
- T1129· Loads modules
- T1218.011
- T1222
- T1518· Checks your AV
- T1592.003
- T1614
- T1614.001
Observed activity
Processes started
7Programs the file ran, with their command lines.
rundll32.exe"C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\kernel32.dll",#1loaddll32.exeC:\Windows\System32\loaddll32.exe loaddll32.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll"cmd.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\cmd.exe cmd.exe /C rundll32.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll",#1rundll32.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe rundll32.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll",#1rundll32.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe rundll32.exe C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll,AcquireSRWLockExclusiverundll32.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe rundll32.exe C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll,AcquireSRWLockShared
Show all 7 entries for processes started
rundll32.exeC:\Windows\SysWOW64\rundll32.exe rundll32.exe C:\Users\user\Desktop\kernel32.dll,ActivateActCtx
Files
1Files the file created, changed or deleted.
- Written
\Device\ConDrv\\Connect
Sandbox background — not the file
2The analysis machine's own processes and connections, recorded in every run.
- VM process
conhost.exeC:\Windows\System32\conhost.exe C:\Windows\system32\conhost.exe 0xffffffff -ForceV1 - VM host
162.159.36.2
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.
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
Antivirus consensus
0 of 71 engines flagged this file
4 of the 75 engines returned no result for this file (file type not supported, or the scan did not finish), so they did not check it.
- Tier-118 engines0flagged
- Tier-236 engines0flagged
- Low-trust17 engines0flagged
View all 75 engine results
- AcronisClean
- AhnLab-V3Clean
- AlibabaClean
- alibabacloudClean
- ALYacClean
- Antiy-AVLClean
- APEXClean
- ArcabitClean
- AvastClean
- Avast-MobileNo result
- AVGClean
- AviraClean
- BitDefenderClean
- BitDefenderFalxNo result
- BkavClean
- CAT-QuickHealClean
- ClamAVClean
- CMCClean
- CrowdStrikeClean
- CTXClean
- CylanceClean
- CynetClean
- DeepInstinctClean
- DrWebClean
- ElasticClean
- EmsisoftClean
- ESET-NOD32Clean
- F-SecureClean
- FortinetClean
- GDataClean
- GoogleClean
- GridinsoftClean
- huorongClean
- IkarusClean
- JiangminClean
- K7AntiVirusClean
- K7GWClean
- KasperskyClean
- KingsoftClean
- LionicClean
- MalwarebytesClean
- MaxSecureClean
- McAfeeDClean
- MicrosoftClean
- MicroWorld-eScanClean
- NANO-AntivirusClean
- PaloaltoClean
- PandaClean
- RisingClean
- SangforClean
- SentinelOneClean
- SkyhighClean
- SophosClean
- SUPERAntiSpywareClean
- SymantecClean
- SymantecMobileInsightNo result
- TACHYONClean
- tehtrisClean
- TencentClean
- TrapmineClean
- TrellixENSClean
- TrendMicroClean
- TrendMicro-HouseCallClean
- TrustlookNo result
- VaristClean
- VBA32Clean
- VIPREClean
- VirITClean
- ViRobotClean
- WebrootClean
- XcitiumClean
- YandexClean
- ZillyaClean
- ZoneAlarmClean
- ZonerClean
Section entropy & packers
No high-entropy executable section or known packer signature was detected. Data and resource sections can still have high entropy without indicating packed code.
How widely this file has been seen
Rarely uploaded, and first seen more than two weeks ago. Often niche legitimate software or internal tooling; not a strong malware signal on its own.
Chapter 05
Questions & answers
Short answers to the 6 questions people ask most about this file.
Is kernel32.dll safe?
What is kernel32.dll?
How many antivirus engines detected kernel32.dll?
What is the SHA-256 hash of kernel32.dll?
Is it safe to use kernel32.dll?
How up to date is this analysis of kernel32.dll?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.