File scan report
Verdict Safe
Is libcrypto safe? Yes, no threats found.
Widely distributed OpenSSL library signed by Python Software Foundation; 17 major antivirus engines clean; 4+ year history with zero detections.
Read the whole reasonShow less
Strong evidence · A verified publisher signature, and no engine flags it.
This file is safe. It is a legitimate OpenSSL cryptographic library signed by Python Software Foundation and widely distributed with zero malicious detections across 4+ years and 11,500+ submissions. No action is required.
Good practice2 tips
We found nothing harmful in this file.
Use it only as part of a program you got from the developer's own website.
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.
No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.
Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.
Antivirus results
0 of 71 flagged
- Flagged 0
- No detection 71
- No result 4
- Code signing Python Software Foundation
- Test run Completed
- First seen 4y ago
Chapter 02
Why we think so
0 points against it and 5 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This file is libcrypto, the OpenSSL cryptographic library bundled in Python distributions. Over 11,500 submissions from 181 sources since 2022 show zero malicious detections. The rule-based flag reflects benign DLL-loading activity, not malware injection.
The evidence strongly supports a benign classification. All 17 major antivirus engines (Kaspersky, BitDefender, ESET-NOD32, Avast, Fortinet, and others) report the file clean or undetected. The file is signed by Python Software Foundation, a trusted publisher on our curated list. Prevalence data shows 11,568 submissions from 181 unique sources over 4+ years with zero malicious detections — a clear indicator of a legitimate, widely distributed library. No malicious sandbox verdict. No complete contacted-host reputation result was available. The file's presence in malware research repositories (vx-underground, virus.exchange) reflects its use as a reference sample for comparative analysis, not evidence of malice.
What We Detected
File: libcrypto (Win32 DLL, 3.4 MB), signed by Python Software Foundation, first submitted Sep 6, 2022. Filename and signer are consistent with the OpenSSL cryptographic library bundled in Python distributions.
Engine Coverage
71 of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it analyzed the file. All 17 major antivirus engines (Kaspersky, BitDefender, ESET-NOD32, Avast, Fortinet, Emsisoft, Ikarus, F-Secure, DrWeb, GData, Avira, AVG, and others) report the file clean or undetected. Zero engines flagged it as malicious or suspicious.
Signing & Publisher
The file is cryptographically signed and verified. The signer, Python Software Foundation, is on our curated list of trusted publishers. This is the legitimate publisher of Python and its bundled libraries.
Prevalence & History
The file has been submitted 11,568 times by 181 unique sources over 4+ years. Throughout this entire period, zero malicious detections have been recorded. This long, clean history is a strong indicator of a legitimate, widely distributed library.
Behavior Analysis
However, the evidence is a benign rundll32.exe command loading a DLL from the Desktop — a common pattern for legitimate DLL testing and development, not malware injection. No malicious sandbox verdict was recorded. No complete contacted-host reputation result was available.
Code Analysis
Entropy is 7.64, which is expected for compiled cryptographic code. No packer was detected. The file is not packed or obfuscated.
External Intelligence
The file appears in malware research repositories (vx-underground.org, virus.exchange). This reflects its use as a reference sample for comparative malware analysis, not evidence of malice. Legitimate software is routinely archived in these databases.
What To Do Now
No action is required. This file is safe to use. If you encountered it as an email attachment or download, it is likely part of a legitimate Python installation or a research sample. If you have concerns about its origin, verify it came from the official Python website or a trusted distribution channel.
Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
- communityComments cite vx-underground.org and virus.exchange — malware research repositories. However, legitimate software is routinely archived in these databases for comparative analysis; presence alone does not indicate malice, especially when paired with zero engine detections and a trusted signer.
- The signer's lack of a saved history means we have no historical sample count for Python Software Foundation in our database — we cannot quantify the signer's historical safety rate. However, Python Software Foundation is a well-known, established publisher; the absence of history in our specific database does not override the trusted-publisher match and the 4+ year prevalence with zero detections.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- Signed by Python Software Foundation (trusted publisher)
- 17 major antivirus engines report clean
- 11,568 submissions over 4+ years with zero malicious detections
- No malicious sandbox verdict. No complete contacted-host reputation result was available.
- Consistent with legitimate OpenSSL library bundled in Python
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. See every source
Chapter 03
What it did in our test
It ran in our isolated test environment; no test environment rated what it did as risky.
Test run summary
Capture complete- 18sandbox rule tags
- 2spawned processes
- 0network contacts
- 40filesystem & mutex artifacts
What this file did when executed
This file was run in a sandbox and its runtime behaviour was observed.
Techniques observed in the sandbox
18MITRE ATT&CK techniques the sandbox mapped. Highlighted ones are rare in normal software; the others are common in legitimate programs too.
- T1012
- T1016· Network recon
- T1027· Obfuscated code
- T1027.002· Obfuscated code
- T1055· Process injection
- T1057· Lists programs
- T1063
- T1071· Application protocol
- T1082· System recon
- T1083· Scans your files
- T1106
- T1129· Loads modules
- T1140· Deobfuscation
- T1198
- T1218.011
- T1497· Sandbox evasion
- T1518.001· Checks your AV
- T1622
Observed activity
Processes started
2Programs the file ran, with their command lines.
rundll32.exe"C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\attachment.dll",#1rundll32.exeC:\windows\system32\rundll32.exe
Files
30Files the file created, changed or deleted.
- Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\20d1bed9-3757-4387-8155-e7e8371ef456 - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\1d7d2bac-a7eb-4853-b052-cfb5c61a09f6 - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\43bc5221-562e-4fe4-b5c0-9d913809cf57
Show all 30 entries for files
- Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\56bb0a9c-8024-4fd8-901b-ffdada471c99 - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\2f9de0f5-87e3-465d-976a-64cf9638b236 - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportQueue\5964ddc2-149c-4da4-b212-6a862148b299 - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5644.tmp.dmp - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5DD6.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5F1F.tmp.xml - Written
\Device\KsecDD - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER168E.tmp - Written
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER168E.tmp.dmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5644.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5DD6.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5F1F.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5644.tmp.dmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5DD6.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER5F1F.tmp.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER168E.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER168E.tmp.dmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER197D.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER197D.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1AD6.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1AD6.tmp.xml - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1D74.tmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1D74.tmp.dmp - Deleted
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1F19.tmp
Mutexes
10Named locks a program uses so only one copy runs; malware families often reuse them.
Local\WERReportingForProcess4148Global\AmiProviderMutex_InventoryApplicationFileGlobal\c5e8368a-5afa-4fca-977a-2735c16de783DBWinMutex\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\WERReportingForProcess7124\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Global\b00962c9-b4ec-489c-a807-828996b7a9c2
Show all 10 entries for mutexes
\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\WERReportingForProcess6164\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Global\a3c136f7-86a6-46ab-b4af-71959f96170b\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Local\WERReportingForProcess3336\Sessions\1\BaseNamedObjects\Global\f3843879-3e05-4f3d-8548-175e9d08a275
Sandbox background — not the file
2The analysis machine's own processes and connections, recorded in every run.
- VM process
WerFault.exeC:\Windows\system32\WerFault.exe -u -p 4148 -s 508 - VM process
WerFault.exeC:\Windows\system32\WerFault.exe
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache. 10 have no saved verdict and were not checked; that is missing coverage, not a finding.
- f30b38da8cd556e36f1c…a0ea5fNot checkedno saved verdict
- 2a77405e04c7e07c0e5c…757486Not checkedno saved verdict
- c182c23df455e94eb25f…daed64Not checkedno saved verdict
- 362fcd6c89d5d0bebb38…0613fcNot checkedno saved verdict
- ea0cfa8e968623b11813…cd95e6Not checkedno saved verdict
- 823e22ecbe77e72d2c51…e3d841Not checkedno saved verdict
- a289a786099746cdf2d2…31d186Not checkedno saved verdict
- 4c598c2eec9f38bc7d12…27e552Not checkedno saved verdict
- 71d0efdcf3d505d52786…d78c81Not checkedno saved verdict
- 53d690f150cdca161714…3646d3Not checkedno saved verdict
Chapter 04
Technical details
None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; signed by Python Software Foundation.
Sources checked
Every check behind this verdict
6 sources checked · 5 complete · 1 not needed or not applicable. Complete means the check returned a usable result; it does not mean the file is safe.
File fingerprint
- Last analyzed
- Jul 11, 2026, 3:55 AM UTC
- SHA-256
976ce72efd0a8aeeb6e21ad441aa9138434314ea07f777432205947cdb149541- SHA-1
8278f9539463f0a45009287f0516098cb7a15406- MD5
6f4b8eb45a965372156086201207c81f
About this file
libcrypto is a Win32 DLL file of 3.4 MB.
- Type and size
- Win32 DLL · 3.4 MB
- Signer
- Python Software FoundationValid code signature.
- First seen
- Sep 6, 2022On VirusTotal.
- Submitted by
- 181 distinct sources
- Packer
- None detected
- Entropy
- 7.64 of 8
First scanned
Antivirus consensus
0 of 71 engines flagged this file
4 of the 75 engines returned no result for this file (file type not supported, or the scan did not finish), so they did not check it.
- Tier-118 engines0flagged
- Tier-236 engines0flagged
- Low-trust17 engines0flagged
View all 75 engine results
- AcronisClean
- AhnLab-V3Clean
- AlibabaClean
- alibabacloudClean
- ALYacClean
- Antiy-AVLClean
- APEXClean
- ArcabitClean
- AvastClean
- Avast-MobileNo result
- AVGClean
- AviraClean
- BitDefenderClean
- BitDefenderFalxNo result
- BkavClean
- CAT-QuickHealClean
- ClamAVClean
- CMCClean
- CrowdStrikeClean
- CTXClean
- CylanceClean
- CynetClean
- DeepInstinctClean
- DrWebClean
- ElasticClean
- EmsisoftClean
- ESET-NOD32Clean
- F-SecureClean
- FortinetClean
- GDataClean
- GoogleClean
- GridinsoftClean
- huorongClean
- IkarusClean
- JiangminClean
- K7AntiVirusClean
- K7GWClean
- KasperskyClean
- KingsoftClean
- LionicClean
- MalwarebytesClean
- MaxSecureClean
- McAfeeDClean
- MicrosoftClean
- MicroWorld-eScanClean
- NANO-AntivirusClean
- PaloaltoClean
- PandaClean
- RisingClean
- SangforClean
- SentinelOneClean
- SkyhighClean
- SophosClean
- SUPERAntiSpywareClean
- SymantecClean
- SymantecMobileInsightNo result
- TACHYONClean
- tehtrisClean
- TencentClean
- TrapmineClean
- TrellixENSClean
- TrendMicroClean
- TrendMicro-HouseCallClean
- TrustlookNo result
- VaristClean
- VBA32Clean
- VIPREClean
- VirITClean
- ViRobotClean
- WebrootClean
- XcitiumClean
- YandexClean
- ZillyaClean
- ZoneAlarmClean
- ZonerClean
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Low-severity pattern matches — worth noting but not on their own cause for alarm.
VirusTotal's sandbox summary maps this run to MITRE T1055 (Process Injection), but no injected process of the sample's own was recorded (the analysis VM's own WMI adapter, crash handlers and Chrome updater are not counted). VirusTotal maps T1055 on about half of all files no engine flags, so the mapping alone is not evidence of injection.
EvidenceT1055 (sandbox MITRE mapping)
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
Widely seen in the wild for a long time. High prior this is legitimate; isolated detections on common-old files are usually false positives.
Chapter 05
Questions & answers
Short answers to the 7 questions people ask most about this file.
Is libcrypto safe?
What is libcrypto?
How many antivirus engines detected libcrypto?
Is libcrypto digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of libcrypto?
Is it safe to use libcrypto?
How up to date is this analysis of libcrypto?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.