MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is ReadMe.txt safe?

Verdict
Safe

No engine flagged this small text file, and its broad, longstanding prevalence plus absent external threat matches strongly support ordinary benign content.

None of 75 antivirus engines detected a threat, including the reporting tier-1 products. The file is a 624-byte text document seen across 2,222 sources, with no matching malware intelligence or fired heuristics; however, no completed runtime or comprehensive host-reputation assessment is available.

Open with normal care

It can be opened with a plain-text viewer while endpoint protection remains enabled. If the file arrived unexpectedly, verify its source before trusting any links or instructions within it.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
0of 75 flagged
Flagged 0No detection 75
Digital specimenReadMe.txt6a94cae4f1646434ef…363d74ba1d7264
Size624 B
Code signingNot applicable
SandboxPartial coverage
First seen11mo ago
Evidence3 priority signals
0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file.

Recommended next actions

01

Before opening

Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.

02

If you already opened 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.

97%Confidence
Very high
Analyst conclusion

None of 75 antivirus engines detected a threat, including the reporting tier-1 products. The file is a 624-byte text document seen across 2,222 sources, with no matching malware intelligence or fired heuristics; however, no completed runtime or comprehensive host-reputation assessment is available.

Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
  • behaviour=null, so no completed runtime observation independently confirms how the file is handled when opened.
  • contactedHosts=null, meaning no complete reputation cross-check is available for hosts mentioned by third-party annotations.

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

It can be opened with a plain-text viewer while endpoint protection remains enabled. If the file arrived unexpectedly, verify its source before trusting any links or instructions within it.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

3 of 5 complete

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

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    0 of 75 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Partial

    Runtime data is present, but no completed sandbox environment is recorded.

  • Network

    Not run

    No contacted-host reputation check is recorded.

    No timestamp recorded

  • YARA

    Complete

    Rule evaluation completed with no recorded matches.

  • External intel

    Complete

    3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.

Chapter 03

Behavior

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

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

    Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.

  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 ReadMe.txt safe?
Evidence-based answer
ReadMe.txt appears safe. 0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged it. Open it only when its sender or download source is one you independently trust.
What is ReadMe.txt?
Evidence-based answer
ReadMe.txt is a document file, about 624 bytes. 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 ReadMe.txt?
Evidence-based answer
None — 0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged ReadMe.txt. 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 ReadMe.txt?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of ReadMe.txt is 6a94cae4f1646434effdba50e97df702f84c555c8a3ca3d6b1363d74ba1d7264, and its MD5 is 46e780332fd001710fb283ceec2dae3a. 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 open ReadMe.txt?
Evidence-based answer
Based on the recorded evidence, ReadMe.txt 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 ReadMe.txt?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on September 14, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of ReadMe.txt 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.

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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.