MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is PROGMAN.EXE safe?

Verdict
Safe

Unsigned legacy Windows component with two low-trust detections and an NSRL reference entry.

Two low-trust engines flagged the file; no tier-1 consensus exists. The sample matches an NSRL-listed Windows XP program manager and carries a researcher note calling it safe.

Run with normal care

The evidence supports treating the file as benign legacy software; retain normal antivirus protection and avoid running unknown executables.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
2of 76 flagged
Flagged 2No detection 74
Digital specimenPROGMAN.EXEa12739dc6252b8952a…f7f86dca3be134
Size201.0 KB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxRuntime complete
First seen16y ago
Evidence3 priority signals
The hash appears in a known-software reference database.

Recommended next actions

01

Before running

Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.

02

If you already ran 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.

78%Confidence
High
Analyst conclusion

Two low-trust engines flagged the file; no tier-1 consensus exists. The sample matches an NSRL-listed Windows XP program manager and carries a researcher note calling it safe.

Where this verdict could be wrong1 caveat
  • T1055 process-injection technique observed in sandbox run, but no tier-1 engine consensus and NSRL reference entry supports legacy Windows component.

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

The evidence supports treating the file as benign legacy software; retain normal antivirus protection and avoid running unknown executables.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

4 of 5 complete

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

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    2 of 76 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Complete

    1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.

  • Network

    Partial

    9 runtime contacts were observed without a completed reputation cross-check.

  • YARA

    Complete

    2 signature or behavior rules matched.

  • External intel

    Complete

    3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.

Chapter 03

Behavior

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

Runtime flight recorder

Capture complete
  • 1isolated sandbox run
  • 16MITRE ATT&CK techniques
  • 2spawned processes
  • 9network contacts
  • 7filesystem & mutex artifacts
Recorded behavior

Attack story

Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.

ObservedDerived

5 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.

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

    Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source 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 PROGMAN.EXE safe?
Evidence-based answer
PROGMAN.EXE appears safe. 2 of 76 antivirus engines flagged it; the 2 detections were treated as non-decisive after the wider evidence was weighed. Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
What is PROGMAN.EXE?
Evidence-based answer
PROGMAN.EXE is a Windows executable program, about 201 KB. 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 PROGMAN.EXE?
Evidence-based answer
2 of 76 antivirus engines flagged PROGMAN.EXE, 2 of them as outright malicious. The raw count alone does not establish safety or danger; we also weigh which engines flagged it and corroborating behavior, identity, reputation, and rule evidence.
What is the SHA-256 hash of PROGMAN.EXE?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of PROGMAN.EXE is a12739dc6252b8952a5219526382a45ac1659b94e5d56eff7ef7f86dca3be134, and its MD5 is 31bf008a469ed5e726685598c9e430b3. 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 run PROGMAN.EXE?
Evidence-based answer
Based on the recorded evidence, PROGMAN.EXE 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 PROGMAN.EXE?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on August 19, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of PROGMAN.EXE 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.