Is ABLETON KEYGEN.exe safe?
Unsigned keygen executable flagged by three tier-1 engines as a confirmed hacktool.
11 of 75 engines flag the file, including three tier-1 detections that label it a keygen hacktool. The binary is unsigned, matches research-tool naming patterns, and has no contradictory clean signals.
98860ab48bdf40ae51…2deee2d85a67eeRecommended next actions
Before running
Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
If you already ran it
Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.
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.
11 of 75 engines flag the file, including three tier-1 detections that label it a keygen hacktool. The binary is unsigned, matches research-tool naming patterns, and has no contradictory clean signals.
Microsoft, Fortinet and Symantec each mark the sample malicious with hacktool or generic-trojan labels, satisfying the hacktoolConfirmed rule. The file is unsigned despite being an executable, and its filename explicitly advertises key-generation functionality. Sandbox runs show only ambient behaviour and no malicious verdict, yet the absence of a completed host-reputation check leaves network activity unverified. Widespread historical submissions reduce the chance of a brand-new false positive, but do not outweigh the tier-1 consensus on a tool whose sole purpose is software piracy.
What We Detected
Three tier-3 engines (Microsoft, Fortinet, Symantec) and eight additional engines label the 8 MB PE file malicious. Microsoft explicitly tags it HackTool:Win32/Keygen. The binary is unsigned and carries the filename ABLETON KEYGEN.exe, which filename heuristics classify as a research/reverse-engineering tool.
Threat Behavior
One sandbox execution recorded 15 ambient MITRE techniques and direct-IP connections to 18 addresses, but produced no malicious verdict and wrote only PyInstaller-extracted support files. No dropped children were flagged malicious. Host-reputation cross-check coverage is missing.
What To Do Now
Do not execute the file. Keep endpoint protection enabled. If the file was obtained to bypass Ableton licensing, obtain a legitimate license instead.
Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
- contactedHosts=null — host-reputation cross-check incomplete; cannot confirm whether the 18 direct IPs are malicious.
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 malicious dropped children
- No offensive MITRE techniques observed
- Unsigned executable
- Explicit keygen branding in filename
- Tier-1 hacktool detections
Delete the file and avoid tools that claim to generate software licenses; they are both illegal and commonly bundled with additional malware.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete11 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial20 runtime contacts were observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
YARA
Complete1 signature or behavior rule 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
- 15MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 15spawned processes
- 20network contacts
- 30filesystem & mutex artifacts
What this file does
Observed actions and their security significance
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.
Moderate concern: Decoded or unpacked concealed content while running.
Moderate concern: Checked the environment for virtualisation or analysis tools.
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.
Threat context
How hacktools are abused
This is a hacking or cracking tool — the kind used to bypass software licences, generate fake keys, or attack other systems. Even when the tool 'works', these downloads very often carry hidden malware.
Bottom line:Running one means trusting an anonymous author with full access to your PC — rarely worth the risk.
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
ABLETON KEYGEN.exe
98860ab48bdf40ae51bb4b3608a4fb2f1d37a6f9ed417805932deee2d85a67ee
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\software.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
%SAMPLEPATH%\ABLETON KEYGEN.exe
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
VCRUNTIME140.dll
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\VCRUNTIME140.dll
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
_bz2.pyd
C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_bz2.pyd
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
20.99.184.37
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
20.69.140.28
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.
- 20.99.184.37
- 20.69.140.28
- 192.229.211.108
- 23.216.147.76
- 20.99.186.246
- 192.168.0.1
- 20.99.185.48
- 184.25.191.235
- 20.99.133.109
- 23.195.231.244
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\VCRUNTIME140.dll
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_bz2.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_cffi_backend.cp310-win_amd64.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_decimal.pyd
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_hashlib.pyd
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1567.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER1579.tmp.csv
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER157A.tmp.txt
- C:\Windows\System32\spp\store\2.0\cache\cache.dat
- C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER2C3B.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 6314c99a3efa15307e7b…d4a62dNever scannednever seen before
- 8046bf64e463d5aa38d1…f5c90aNever scannednever seen before
- f44809121757bd237d08…d0da24Never scannednever seen before
- 602c4c7482de6479dd2e…8fb4fbNever scannednever seen before
- 2093e7e4f5359b38f081…910fe1Never scannednever seen before
- ceebae7b8927a3227e53…2f1508Never scannednever seen before
- 80a6ebe46f43ffa93bbd…243df6Never scannednever seen before
- d66c3b47091ceb3f8d3c…d464f8Never scannednever seen before
- 3e0c7c091a948b82533b…3ae6bbNever scannednever seen before
- b73bbfe161be8116a983…c0aa3bNever 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.
- 1rule hit recorded
- 11 / 75engines flagged
- 1,085sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
11 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file, including APEX and CrowdStrike.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 02
The hash has a long, established submission history across 1,085 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSubmission historyObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 1,358 times from 1,085 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: ABLETON KEYGEN.exe — 98860ab48bdf40ae51bb4b3608a4fb2f1d37a6f9ed417805932deee2d85a67ee
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\software.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — %SAMPLEPATH%\ABLETON KEYGEN.exe
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: VCRUNTIME140.dll — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\VCRUNTIME140.dll
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: _bz2.pyd — C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\_MEI18842\_bz2.pyd
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: 20.99.184.37 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 10
Contacted host: 20.69.140.28 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
Category: hacktool
MalwareBazaar, YARAify, and CIRCL hashlookup completed and returned no entries for this hash.
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Behavioral heuristics matched patterns associated with malware. Corroborating evidence determines how much weight they carry.
The 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.
Evidence20.99.184.37 · 20.69.140.28 · 192.229.211.108
11 of 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 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
Widely seen in the wild for a long time. High prior this is legitimate; isolated detections on common-old files are usually false positives.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- ABLETON KEYGEN.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 7.8 MB
- Last analyzed
- Aug 18, 2026, 1:27 PM UTC
98860ab48bdf40ae51bb4b3608a4fb2f1d37a6f9ed417805932deee2d85a67eeSafety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
This file is dangerous. Treat it as harmful and remove it.
- Recovery step 01
Don't run this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
- Recovery step 02
If you already ran it, disconnect from the internet and start with a full antivirus scan or Microsoft Defender Offline scan. If compromise is suspected or the problem persists, use a reputable second-opinion scanner and follow incident-recovery or clean-reinstall guidance.
- Recovery step 03
If you typed any passwords while it was open, change them from a device you trust.
- Recovery step 04
Get a fresh copy from the developer's official site or an official app store.
Safety FAQ
Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is ABLETON KEYGEN.exe malware?
What is ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
I already downloaded and ran ABLETON KEYGEN.exe — what should I do?
How do I remove ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
What kind of malware is ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of ABLETON KEYGEN.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.