Is vc-setup.exe safe?
No antivirus engine detected this signed installer, but process-injection, LSASS-related activity, and weak signer history warrant caution pending publisher verification.
The file carries a valid MiniTool Software Limited signature and received no detections from 75 engines, including 17 tier-1 products. However, one sandbox recorded process-injection and LSASS-related indicators, and the signer’s limited history includes a prior ValleyRAT-associated sample, so installation should be deferred unless the file came directly from the publisher.
88e07ea91b3dc9774f…47354d67c620ddRecommended next actions
Before installing
Do not install it until the source and publisher can be verified independently.
If you already installed it
Stop using it, scan the device, and watch for unexpected behavior or security alerts. Download a fresh installer 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 carries a valid MiniTool Software Limited signature and received no detections from 75 engines, including 17 tier-1 products. However, one sandbox recorded process-injection and LSASS-related indicators, and the signer’s limited history includes a prior ValleyRAT-associated sample, so installation should be deferred unless the file came directly from the publisher.
The strongest favorable evidence is the complete absence of detections across 75 engines, including 17 tier-1 products. The executable is signed and its brand metadata does not conflict with the signer, but the publisher is not curated as trusted and its available history consists of only one malicious sample. Runtime evidence from one sandbox includes T1055 and LSASS-related activity, although that sandbox did not issue a malicious result. The direct-IP contact cannot be cleared because no complete host-reputation check was saved. A prior ValleyRAT-associated file shares the signer, but signer-only similarity is insufficient to assign that family here. Taken together, the evidence supports caution rather than a definitive malware attribution.
What We Detected
None of 75 antivirus engines flagged the executable, and all 17 tier-1 engines reported no detection. The file has a verified signature from MiniTool Software Limited, with no detected brand mismatch. However, this publisher is not on the curated trusted list, and signing.signerStats contains only one historical sample, which was associated with malicious activity.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox recorded techniques mapped to T1055, T1548, and T1560, along with LSASS-related process activity. These signals can indicate process injection, privilege-related actions, or credential access, but the sandbox itself did not return a malicious result. The file contacted 162.159.36.2 directly; because contactedHosts is unavailable, no complete reputation conclusion can be made about that connection. Ten dropped files were inspected without a confirmed malicious child, but all ten remain unclassified.
What To Do Now
Do not install this copy unless its hash or digital signature can be verified against a download obtained directly from MiniTool's official release channel. Keep endpoint protection enabled, and quarantine or remove the file if its source cannot be authenticated.
Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
- All 0/75 engines were non-malicious, including 17 tier-1 engines, which strongly argues against established malware signatures.
- behaviour.hasMaliciousSandboxVerdict=false, and the single completed sandbox labeled its run clean.
- droppedChildren.hasMaliciousChild=false, although the 10 inspected children were not individually classified.
- externalIntel.yaraify.ruleCount=0, externalIntel.malwareBazaar.hit=false, and externalIntel.circl.hit=false; these absences may reflect coverage gaps rather than proof of benignity.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- 0/75 antivirus engines reported a malicious or suspicious result.
- All 17 tier-1 engines reported no detection.
- The signature from MiniTool Software Limited is verified.
- brandMismatch was not detected.
- The completed sandbox did not issue a malicious verdict.
- Sandbox evidence maps activity to T1055 process injection.
- LSASS-related process activity resembles credential-access behavior.
- The file made a direct-IP contact to 162.159.36.2 without a completed host-reputation check.
- Signer history is extremely limited and includes 1/1 prior malicious sample.
- One signer-matched historical sample was associated with ValleyRAT.
- All 10 dropped children remain individually unclassified.
Verify this exact file against a fresh copy from MiniTool's official release channel before running it. Keep endpoint protection enabled and avoid execution if the source or signature cannot be independently confirmed.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete0 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial1 runtime contact was observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
YARA
Complete3 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
- 18MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 11spawned processes
- 1network contacts
- 15filesystem & 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: Used an input-capture technique that can record credentials or keystrokes.
High concern: Changed an auto-start location that can make code run after sign-in or restart.
Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.
Moderate concern: Runs hidden system commands (script or shell).
Moderate concern: Removed execution artefacts or logs, which can conceal activity.
Moderate concern: Communicated over a common application protocol; malware can use this for command-and-control.
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
vc-setup.exe
88e07ea91b3dc9774fb401af94444ee2bb2903757cee8fb76b47354d67c620dd
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\vc-setup.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\System32\slui.exe -Embedding
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
Caches
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Caches
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
7ZipSfx.000
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000
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\Caches
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000\bin
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000\bin\skin_anima
- C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000\bin\skin_anima\Check_Nomal.png
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 5027f0a9660a898d2b81…efd56aNever scannednever seen before
- fad3b97e678e1331c6ac…703fccNever scannednever seen before
- 67c362c96e0c14aedec1…6451f5Never scannednever seen before
- 71080bb7b647a0bf6cf8…b4bb45Never scannednever seen before
- 12dd69caa7bb9cad53b0…c6ffeeNever scannednever seen before
- dc996593b4e6a85dc4ce…2e2f85Never scannednever seen before
- 01beca79baff350a2e10…5a1770Never scannednever seen before
- a909bbf81d2bf5ef3367…dffed4Never scannednever seen before
- 9ac0e528c2a92ab25477…369790Never scannednever seen before
- 2a64d689fc2fcbffd771…5dd7c8Never 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.
- 3rule hits recorded
- 0 / 75engines flagged
- 7sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
1 high-confidence signature or behavior rule matched this file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceDerivedSourceSignature and behavior rulesObserved at - 02
0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file.
ProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The file has a valid code signature from MiniTool Software Limited.
ProvenanceObservedSourceCode-signing metadataObserved at - 04
Scanned file: vc-setup.exe — 88e07ea91b3dc9774fb401af94444ee2bb2903757cee8fb76b47354d67c620dd
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\vc-setup.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\System32\slui.exe -Embedding
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: Caches — C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Caches
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: 7ZipSfx.000 — C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Temp\7ZipSfx.000
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
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
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.
EvidenceC:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe -k NetworkService -pSandbox observed process activity targeting LSASS (Windows credential store). Legitimate software has no business reading LSASS memory — this is Mimikatz-shape behaviour.
EvidenceC:\Windows\system32\lsass.exeThe 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 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 engine results
Section entropy & packers
A known packer signature (UPX / Themida / VMProtect / etc.) matched this file. Packers aren't malicious on their own, but most malware uses them.
Packers compress or encrypt the executable and only unpack it at runtime. Legitimate commercial software uses them too — but if the file is also unsigned and rare, it's a strong malware signal.
How widely this file has been seen
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- vc-setup.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- Signature valid: MiniTool Software Limited
- Size
- 2.0 MB
- Last analyzed
- Oct 1, 2026, 6:37 AM UTC
88e07ea91b3dc9774fb401af94444ee2bb2903757cee8fb76b47354d67c620ddSafety & 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 install 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. Download a fresh installer 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 vc-setup.exe safe, or is it malware?
What is vc-setup.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected vc-setup.exe?
What should I do if I already installed vc-setup.exe?
How do I remove vc-setup.exe?
Is vc-setup.exe digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of vc-setup.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of vc-setup.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.