Is winhttp.dll safe?
Unsigned 18 kB DLL with zero engine detections and clean sandbox behaviour.
No antivirus engine flagged the file. The only notable signal is a medium-severity heuristic for direct-IP contact without DNS, which is inconclusive on its own. Sandbox execution produced no malicious indicators and no children were malicious.
5f63675b27263c4462…aa012fa4296e6eRecommended next actions
Before using
Use it only as part of software obtained from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
If you already used it
Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.
Intelligence
The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.
No antivirus engine flagged the file. The only notable signal is a medium-severity heuristic for direct-IP contact without DNS, which is inconclusive on its own. Sandbox execution produced no malicious indicators and no children were malicious.
All 74 engines returned clean results, including 16 tier-1 engines. The file is unsigned and only one day old, yet the sandbox recorded only ambient techniques and no malicious verdict. The single triggered heuristic (DirectIpC2) is medium severity and can occur with legitimate software. Medium prevalence across five sources further supports a benign classification.
What We Detected
74 engines scanned the 18 kB Win32 DLL; none returned a malicious or suspicious result. The file is unsigned and first appeared one day ago.
Threat Behavior
Sandbox execution showed 14 ambient MITRE techniques and zero offensive techniques. One external IP was contacted directly without DNS resolution, triggering a medium-severity heuristic, but no malicious verdict was issued and no malicious children were dropped.
What To Do Now
The file can be treated as clean for most purposes. If it must run in a high-security environment, monitor the direct-IP connection or request the original source for verification.
Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
- Unsigned DLL with direct-IP contact could indicate malicious loader, but zero engine detections and clean sandbox behaviour weigh against that interpretation.
- The DirectIpC2 heuristic is medium severity and can trigger on legitimate software that hard-codes IPs; absence of domains alone is not decisive.
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 engine detections across 74 scanners
- Clean sandbox verdict
- No malicious dropped children
- Unsigned DLL
- Direct IP contact without DNS (medium heuristic)
The sample shows no malicious indicators from engines or sandbox; treat as safe unless additional context suggests otherwise.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete0 of 74 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial1 runtime contact was observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
YARA
Complete1 signature or behavior rule matched.
External intel
Complete3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
Runtime flight recorder
Capture complete- 1isolated sandbox run
- 14MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 10spawned processes
- 1network contacts
- 7filesystem & mutex artifacts
Attack story
Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.
Input file
The submitted object
- FileObserved
winhttp.dll
5f63675b27263c446278bac88dc24345106b44294da8c20adfaa012fa4296e6e
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\winhttp.dll",#1
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\System32\loaddll64.exe loaddll64.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\winhttp.dll"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
winhttp.dll
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\winhttp.dll
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
AdobeGCInvoker.exe
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\AdobeGCInvoker.exe
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
162.159.36.2
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis
6 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.
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.
- 162.159.36.2
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\winhttp.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\AdobeGCInvoker.exe
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\Adobe.Acrobat.Dependencies.manifest
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\winhttp.dll
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 2 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 5f63675b27263c446278…296e6eNever scannednever seen before
- 255a65d30841ab4082bd…c12309Never scannednever seen before
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 1rule hit recorded
- 0 / 74engines flagged
- 5sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
0 of 74 antivirus engines flagged the file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 02
The hash has been submitted 6 times from 5 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 03
Scanned file: winhttp.dll — 5f63675b27263c446278bac88dc24345106b44294da8c20adfaa012fa4296e6e
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 04
Observed process — "C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\winhttp.dll",#1
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 05
Observed process — C:\Windows\System32\loaddll64.exe loaddll64.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\winhttp.dll"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
File written: winhttp.dll — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\winhttp.dll
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: AdobeGCInvoker.exe — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\AdobeGCInvoker\AdobeGCInvoker.exe
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
Contacted host: 162.159.36.2 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
The available sources did not agree on a named threat category.
MalwareBazaar, YARAify, and CIRCL hashlookup completed and returned no entries for this hash.
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Behavioral heuristics matched patterns associated with malware. Corroborating evidence determines how much weight they carry.
The sample contacted an external IP address directly and no application domain was recorded. Direct-IP traffic also occurs in legitimate installers and infrastructure, so this is supporting context only and requires corroboration from host reputation and other runtime evidence.
Evidence162.159.36.2
0 of 74 engines flagged this file
View all 74 engine results
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
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- winhttp.dll
- Format
- Win32 DLL
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 18.0 KB
- Last analyzed
- Jul 23, 2026, 12:46 PM UTC
5f63675b27263c446278bac88dc24345106b44294da8c20adfaa012fa4296e6eSafety & 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.
- Recovery step 01
Use it only as part of software obtained from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
- Recovery step 02
A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.
- 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.
Is winhttp.dll safe?
What is winhttp.dll?
How many antivirus engines detected winhttp.dll?
What is the SHA-256 hash of winhttp.dll?
Is it safe to use winhttp.dll?
How up to date is this analysis of winhttp.dll?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.