MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is Pekora.exe safe?

Verdict
Safe

No engines detected malware across broad historical exposure, although unsigned code, destructive-technique mappings, and one suspicious contacted domain warrant ordinary installation caution.

The file received no detections from 75 engines, including no tier-1 flags, despite 2,267 submissions from 1,864 sources. One sandbox produced no malicious verdict, but the executable is unsigned, contacted a domain with a suspicious reputation, and triggered T1485 and T1486 mappings, so it should come only from the expected project source.

Run with normal care

Use this hash only if it came from the expected official project channel, and keep endpoint protection enabled. Recheck the source if www.pekora.zip or the installer behavior was not expected.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
0of 75 flagged
Flagged 0No detection 75
Digital specimenPekora.exea3b3a175d5f15c7794…245128f72015b3
Size1.4 MB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxRuntime complete
First seen7mo ago
Evidence3 priority signals
0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file.

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.

82%Confidence
High
Analyst conclusion

The file received no detections from 75 engines, including no tier-1 flags, despite 2,267 submissions from 1,864 sources. One sandbox produced no malicious verdict, but the executable is unsigned, contacted a domain with a suspicious reputation, and triggered T1485 and T1486 mappings, so it should come only from the expected project source.

Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
  • The unsigned executable performed actions mapped to T1485 and T1486, techniques associated with destructive behavior, though the completed sandbox did not issue a malicious verdict.
  • contactedHosts.suspiciousHosts contains www.pekora.zip; this is a cautionary reputation signal, not a confirmed malicious-host match.
  • All 10 dropped children have unknown verdicts, so hasMaliciousChild=false does not establish that those files are benign.
  • One communityComments entry alleges several malware categories, but it has zero votes and conflicts with both the engine results and another zero-vote clean annotation.

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

Use this hash only if it came from the expected official project channel, and keep endpoint protection enabled. Recheck the source if www.pekora.zip or the installer behavior was not expected.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

3 of 5 complete

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

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    0 of 75 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Complete

    1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.

  • Network

    Partial

    3 of 6 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.

  • YARA

    Complete

    Rule evaluation completed with no recorded matches.

  • External intel

    Partial

    Independent reference checks were attempted but are incomplete.

Chapter 03

Behavior

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

Runtime flight recorder

Capture complete
  • 1isolated sandbox run
  • 21MITRE ATT&CK techniques
  • 4spawned processes
  • 16network contacts
  • 36filesystem & mutex artifacts
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 Pekora.exe safe?
Evidence-based answer
Pekora.exe appears safe. 0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged it. Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
What is Pekora.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Pekora.exe is a Windows executable program, about 1.4 MB. 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 Pekora.exe?
Evidence-based answer
None — 0 of 75 antivirus engines flagged Pekora.exe. That's reassuring, though it is not proof that a file is safe, so we also weigh its behaviour, identity, and reputation.
What is the SHA-256 hash of Pekora.exe?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of Pekora.exe is a3b3a175d5f15c7794cf51412dd54073efaa0b98376ba0b906245128f72015b3, and its MD5 is f745edf5a96ba145ca392df6aa67fe6e. 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 Pekora.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Based on the recorded evidence, Pekora.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 Pekora.exe?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on September 28, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of Pekora.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.