Is NepTunnel 1.0.exe safe?
Unsigned 20 MB PyInstaller EXE with process-injection and LSASS-access behaviour plus four low-trust detections.
Four engines flag the sample, one tier-2 naming PyStealer; sandbox shows T1055 and T1486 activity. No tier-1 consensus and no malicious children, but the file is unsigned and shares an imphash with prior malicious samples.
8da0e4e9f4d86821f5…e11303347541b8Recommended 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.
Four engines flag the sample, one tier-2 naming PyStealer; sandbox shows T1055 and T1486 activity. No tier-1 consensus and no malicious children, but the file is unsigned and shares an imphash with prior malicious samples.
The engine set is dominated by low-trust detections with only one tier-2 hit, so a definitive malicious call is not warranted. However, the unsigned status, offensive MITRE techniques observed in the sandbox, and the imphash matches to previously malicious files keep the risk elevated. Direct-IP contacts without domain names add another layer of concern. The combination of signals places the file in the suspicious band rather than safe or malicious.
What We Detected
Four of 74 engines flagged the file; VirIT labelled it Trojan.Win64.PyStealer.JYI. The sample is an unsigned 20 MB Win32 EXE that appears to be a PyInstaller bundle. Sandbox execution recorded MITRE T1055 (process injection) and T1486 (data encrypted for impact) plus direct-IP traffic to three external addresses.
Threat Behavior
Process activity targeting LSASS and the creation of numerous temporary Python-library files are consistent with credential-stealing or data-exfiltration tooling. No tier-1 engine reached consensus on a family, and none of the ten dropped children were flagged malicious.
What To Do Now
Do not execute the file. Keep Windows Defender and other endpoint protection enabled. If the file was received unsolicited, treat it as potentially malicious and delete it or submit it to a malware-analysis service for deeper inspection.
Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
- communityComments contain one 'Clean' annotation (score 2/100) alongside one 'Suspicious' annotation (score 27/100)
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- No tier-1 detections
- No malicious dropped children
- Medium prevalence across 321 sources
- Unsigned executable
- Sandbox observed T1055 and T1486
- Direct-IP network traffic
- Imphash matches prior malicious samples
Quarantine or delete the file; do not run it. Continue using endpoint protection and avoid executing unsigned executables from untrusted sources.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete4 of 74 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial3 runtime contacts were 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
- 13MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 9spawned processes
- 3network 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: Encrypted files or data, behaviour commonly associated with ransomware.
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.
Moderate concern: Scans through your files and folders.
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
NepTunnel 1.0.exe
8da0e4e9f4d86821f57573b12ba04b4e48e0426cd8f83712a9e11303347541b8
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\NepTunnel.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c "ver"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
_avif.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_avif.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
_imaging.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imaging.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
104.18.15.72
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
199.232.192.193
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.
- 104.18.15.72
- 199.232.192.193
- 162.159.36.2
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_avif.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imaging.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imagingcms.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imagingft.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imagingmath.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 48f4a239c25354f0e9f8…17ecedNever scannednever seen before
- 3271d39d7b4dcd841e8e…efe5e5Never scannednever seen before
- cb71909bf01a3a7a4c73…d46e13Never scannednever seen before
- 6a99bc0128e0c7d6cbbf…cbc6c8Never scannednever seen before
- 98074c85650a420a095a…b084e9Never scannednever seen before
- 81eca6840b87f2def9fc…d7aaaaNever scannednever seen before
- 4f05f31ca026bbfeeee4…7ab5deNever scannednever seen before
- 3130bf26da0c840c1e02…5a3539Never scannednever seen before
- 47576cae321c80e69c7f…ac6b91Never scannednever seen before
- 165be658ab7d61ffc3df…d3acd7Never 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
- 4 / 74engines flagged
- 321sources 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
4 of 74 antivirus engines flagged the file, including APEX and Bkav.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 381 times from 321 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: NepTunnel 1.0.exe — 8da0e4e9f4d86821f57573b12ba04b4e48e0426cd8f83712a9e11303347541b8
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\NepTunnel.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe /c "ver"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: _avif.cp314-win_amd64.pyd — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_avif.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: _imaging.cp314-win_amd64.pyd — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI57722\PIL\_imaging.cp314-win_amd64.pyd
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: 104.18.15.72 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 10
Contacted host: 199.232.192.193 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
Category: infostealer
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.
Evidence104.18.15.72 · 199.232.192.193 · 162.159.36.2
4 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
- NepTunnel 1.0.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 19.1 MB
- Last analyzed
- Aug 14, 2026, 5:14 PM UTC
8da0e4e9f4d86821f57573b12ba04b4e48e0426cd8f83712a9e11303347541b8Safety & 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 NepTunnel 1.0.exe safe, or is it malware?
What is NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
I already downloaded and ran NepTunnel 1.0.exe — what should I do?
How do I remove NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
What kind of malware is NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of NepTunnel 1.0.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.