Is arzedit.exe safe?
An unsigned, packed executable drew 7 of 75 detections and exhibited process injection, defense impairment, reflective loading, and unresolved direct-IP network activity.
The file combines several concerning indicators: 7 of 75 engine detections, unsigned packed code, and observed techniques associated with injection and defense impairment. The evidence does not establish a named malware family, and most tier-1 engines remained silent, but execution should be avoided pending trusted-source verification.
68417b8a11766fb657…2a5840343e4ce0Recommended next actions
Before running
Do not run it until the source and publisher can be verified independently.
If you already ran it
Stop using it, scan the device, and watch for unexpected behavior or security alerts. Get a fresh copy from the developer's official site or an official app store.
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.
The file combines several concerning indicators: 7 of 75 engine detections, unsigned packed code, and observed techniques associated with injection and defense impairment. The evidence does not establish a named malware family, and most tier-1 engines remained silent, but execution should be avoided pending trusted-source verification.
Seven of 75 engines flagged the executable, but McAfee supplied the only tier-1 detection and no strong family consensus exists. One sandbox recorded T1055 process injection, T1562.001 defense impairment, and T1620 reflective code loading, which are materially concerning when combined. The executable is unsigned and likely packed, with entropy of 7.5 in its code section. It also contacted three external IP addresses, but no complete host-reputation cross-check is available. Counter-signals include 17 non-detecting tier-1 engines, no explicit malicious sandbox verdict, and no confirmed malicious dropped child, leaving the evidence mixed rather than conclusive.
What We Detected
Seven of 75 antivirus engines flagged the executable. McAfee reported the generic Artemis label, while the remaining detections were primarily behavioral or machine-learning labels; there is no strong agreement on a named family. The file is unsigned, and its code section has entropy of 7.5, supporting the assessment that it is packed or otherwise obscured.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox run mapped activity to T1055 process injection, T1562.001 defense impairment, and T1620 reflective code loading. The sample also contacted three external IP addresses. Because contactedHosts is unavailable, those addresses do not have a complete saved reputation assessment and should not be described as benign or confirmed command-and-control. Two dropped files were inspected without a malicious result, but both remain unclassified.
What To Do Now
Do not run the executable on a production system. Keep endpoint protection enabled, quarantine the file, and obtain a fresh copy only from a verified publisher or known official source; if analysis is necessary, use an isolated disposable environment with network monitoring.
Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
- 17 of 18 tier-1 engines did not flag the sample, and engines.tier1FamilyConsensus.strong=false.
- behaviour.hasMaliciousSandboxVerdict=false, and droppedChildren.hasMaliciousChild=false, although both inspected children remained unclassified.
- externalIntel.yaraify.ruleCount=0, externalIntel.circl.hit=false, and externalIntel.malwareBazaar.hit=false; these absences may reflect coverage limits.
- The file has been observed since 2019 with prevalence.uniqueSources=24, which weighs against a newly distributed campaign.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- 17 of 18 tier-1 engines did not flag the file
- No strong tier-1 family consensus
- No explicit malicious sandbox verdict
- No confirmed malicious dropped child
- No CIRCL, MalwareBazaar, or YARAify hit
- 7 of 75 antivirus detections
- Unsigned Win32 executable
- Likely packed, with .text entropy 7.5
- Observed T1055 process-injection behavior
- Observed T1562.001 defense-impairment behavior
- Observed T1620 reflective code loading
Quarantine the file and avoid execution unless its origin and integrity can be verified through a trusted publisher. Keep endpoint protection enabled and use an isolated analysis environment if further investigation is required.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete7 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial3 runtime contacts were observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
YARA
Complete4 signature or behavior rules 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
- 10MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 2spawned processes
- 3network contacts
- 10filesystem & mutex artifacts
What this file does
Observed actions and their security significance
High concern: Injected code into another process, a technique that can conceal execution.
High concern: Attempted to impair or bypass security controls.
High concern: Loaded code directly into memory instead of from a normal file.
Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.
Moderate concern: Scans through your files and folders.
Moderate concern: Checked the environment for virtualisation or analysis tools.
Note: Collects details about your system.
These are observed capabilities from an isolated analysis. A technique does not prove malicious intent on its own, and the file never ran on your device.
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
arzedit.exe
68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
%SAMPLEPATH%\68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0.exe
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\System32\wuapihost.exe
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
software.exe.log
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\CLR_v4.0_32\UsageLogs\software.exe.log
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
ConDrv
\Device\ConDrv
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
23.216.147.76
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
20.99.133.109
Contact observed during runtime.
07Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
7 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.
- 23.216.147.76
- 20.99.133.109
- 192.229.211.108
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\CLR_v4.0_32\UsageLogs\software.exe.log
- \Device\ConDrv
- \Device\ConDrv\\Connect
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1BD0.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1CAB.tmp.csv
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1CEA.tmp.txt
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1F9A.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1FAA.tmp.csv
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 2 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 181a23b19109dcbece67…67b7b3Never scannednever seen before
- 105bd4fcdf2c1d2cab42…932bc9Never 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.
- 4rule hits recorded
- 7 / 75engines flagged
- 24sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
2 high-confidence signature or behavior rules matched this file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceDerivedSourceSignature and behavior rulesObserved at - 02
7 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file, including APEX and Cybereason.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 27 times from 24 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: arzedit.exe — 68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — %SAMPLEPATH%\68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0.exe
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\System32\wuapihost.exe
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: software.exe.log — C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\CLR_v4.0_32\UsageLogs\software.exe.log
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: ConDrv — \Device\ConDrv
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: 23.216.147.76 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 10
Contacted host: 20.99.133.109 — 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
A community signature or high-severity behavioral heuristic matched. Signatures identify known patterns; heuristics are strong leads but are not proof on their own.
The saved runtime evidence maps this activity to MITRE T1055 (Process Injection). The mapping supports possible process injection, but it does not prove the exact injection method or the operator's intent.
Evidence%SAMPLEPATH%\68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0.exePE is packed (high-entropy code or known packer) AND unsigned AND at least one engine flagged it. Packing alone is common in legit software; packing + unsigned + signal is the malware-dropper pattern.
Evidencehigh-entropy code sectionThe 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.
Evidence23.216.147.76 · 20.99.133.109 · 192.229.211.108Unsigned, packed PE with sandbox-observed network activity. The packing step hides the payload until execution; the network call fetches / reports for the next stage. Classic dropper / stager behaviour.
Evidence23.216.147.76
7 of 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 engine results
Section entropy & packers
Executable sections have high entropy (7.2+) — the code is compressed or encrypted and only decrypted at runtime. Classic packing behaviour.
How widely this file has been seen
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- arzedit.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 566.5 KB
- Last analyzed
- Sep 20, 2026, 7:54 PM UTC
68417b8a11766fb657a4988dbf422627bc2a30085e281d67d32a5840343e4ce0Safety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
We couldn't fully clear this file. Treat it with caution.
- Recovery step 01
Don't run it unless you're certain it came from a source you trust.
- Recovery step 02
Check where you got it — an unexpected attachment or a random download link is a red flag.
- Recovery step 03
If its origin cannot be confirmed, delete this file and use a fresh copy from a trusted source. Get a fresh copy from the developer's official site or an official app store.
- Recovery step 04
If you're still unsure, scan it again in a day or two — detections often catch up on newer files.
Safety FAQ
Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is arzedit.exe safe, or is it malware?
What is arzedit.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected arzedit.exe?
What should I do if I already ran arzedit.exe?
How do I remove arzedit.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of arzedit.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of arzedit.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.