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Verdict Malicious

Analyzed , 4 months ago

Is VistaShow.exe safe? No, we rate this exact file malicious.

4 of the 65 antivirus engines that checked it flag this Windows program as a trojan.

Moderate evidence · Several antivirus engines agree.

Don't run this file

If you already ran it, follow the steps below.

What to do now4 steps

This file is harmful. Don't run it, and remove it.

If you haven't run it

  1. Don't run this file. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin.

If you already ran it

  1. Disconnect the device from the internet, then run a full antivirus scan. Microsoft Defender Offline (Windows Security > Virus & threat protection > Scan options) also finds malware that hides while Windows runs.

  2. If you typed passwords on the device after running it, change them from another device you trust.

  3. If the scan keeps finding it, or the device still acts strangely, scan again with a second-opinion scanner from another company; if that doesn't fix it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.

If you already ran it, do these in order.

If you opened or installed it

Avoid banking and sign-ins on that device until it is clean. These free MalwareTips guides walk you through it.

Paste this report's link in your topic so helpers can see what was found.

Why we think so

Share this file report

VistaShow.exe: Malicious — MalwareTips file scan

The link always shows the latest result for this exact file (its SHA-256 fingerprint).

Reads the latest antivirus results for this file's hash. Nothing is uploaded.

Antivirus results

4 of 65 flagged

  • Flagged 4
  • No detection 61
  • No result 10
FileVistaShow.exe2.9 MBSHA-256 b18aee985a94…d511ab
  • Code signing Unsigned
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 4mo ago
4 of the 65 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, including Symantec (Norton) and Elastic.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

5 points against it and 3 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

Analyst conclusion

Only 1 major antivirus engine agreed, and no named malware family emerged from consensus. The unsigned status, rare-new prevalence, and absence of external-intel corroboration add uncertainty, but the combination of offensive MITRE techniques and direct-IP contact without DNS is a strong malware indicator.

Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
  • No named malware family consensus — 'attribute' is a generic ML label, not a tracked threat family. This weakens confidence vs. a multi-engine family agreement.
  • No external-intel corroboration (CIRCL, YARAify, MalwareBazaar all miss). If the file is truly malicious, researcher coverage may be incomplete; if benign, the absence of researcher rules is expected.

These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.

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
  • 10sandbox rule tags
  • 2spawned processes
  • 0network contacts
  • 0filesystem & mutex artifacts

What the test run showed

What the file did on a test computer

Confirmed in the test run

  • Moderate concern: Contains packed or scrambled code that is harder to inspect (common in installers too).

  • Note: Read basic details of the test computer, such as its Windows version.

  • Note: Loaded extra code modules while running.

Sandbox labels we could not confirm (common in safe files too)

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as code injection, but no injected program was recorded.

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as contacting a server, but no contacted host was recorded.

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as loading code in memory; nothing confirms it.

This file was run on a test computer (a sandbox), not on yours. Labels we could not confirm are listed so you can see them, but they are not treated as evidence against the file.

Threat context

How trojans work

A trojan pretends to be something useful or harmless so that you run it. Once open, it does its real job in the background, from stealing data to opening a back door or downloading more malware.

Bottom line:The disguise is the whole trick, so a trustworthy-looking name or icon means nothing.

Recorded behavior

What happened in the test

Grouped by step. The order is not a timeline.

Seen in the test runWorked out from other results

  1. Input file

    The submitted object

    1
    1. Evidence 1 of 3: FileSeen in the test run

      VistaShow.exe

      b18aee985a949b17ebcc48a2bc6a4b33a73e2da171d767571f41de60e3d511ab

      Uploaded file

  2. Processes

    What ran

    2
    1. Evidence 2 of 3: ProcessSeen in the test run

      VistaShow.exe

      "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\VistaShow.exe"

      Test run
    2. Evidence 3 of 3: ProcessSeen in the test run

      VistaShow.exe

      "C:\Users\user\Desktop\VistaShow.exe"

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

3 facts from the test run. See the full activity list.

Chapter 04

Technical details

4 of the 65 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; no publisher signature.

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.

SourceStatusResultChecked
Antivirus enginesVirusTotal · 75 enginesCompleteRisk signal: 4 of 65 engines flagged it · 10 gave no result Details for antivirus engines
Sandbox runVirusTotal sandboxesCompleteRuntime behaviour was recorded Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerNot neededThe sandbox recorded no contacted hosts to checkNo date recorded
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete1 MalwareTips behaviour rule Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

Engines that flagged it 4

  • Symantec (major engine)ML.Attribute.HighConfidence
  • APEXMalicious
  • BkavW32.Malware.9ED23AD9
  • Elasticmalicious (high confidence)

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Jun 9, 2026, 8:04 PM UTC
SHA-256
b18aee985a949b17ebcc48a2bc6a4b33a73e2da171d767571f41de60e3d511ab
SHA-1
30311746ebf0922b7fabc0d7f46d71228c57bf31
MD5
055c9bb97993bf40c3ea11abc2aa157a

About this file

VistaShow.exe is a Win32 EXE file of 2.9 MB.

Type and size
Win32 EXE · 2.9 MB
Signer
UnsignedNo code signature.
First seen
May 31, 2026On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
1 sourceRarely seen: few people have submitted this exact file.
Packer
None detected
Entropy
4.94 of 8

First scanned

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 8 questions people ask most about this file.

Is VistaShow.exe a virus?
Yes. This copy of VistaShow.exe (SHA-256 b18aee98…11ab) is malicious. Other files with the same name can be different, so check the hash. Don't run it. Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 4 of the 65 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. Antivirus engines classify it as a trojan: malware disguised as something harmless so that you run it. If you've already run it, see the steps below.
What is VistaShow.exe?
VistaShow.exe is a Windows program, about 2.9 MB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on May 31, 2026.
How many antivirus engines detected VistaShow.exe?
4 of the 65 antivirus engines that checked it flag VistaShow.exe, including Symantec (Norton) and Elastic. We weigh which engines flagged it and what else the scan found, not just the count. The rating comes from all the evidence together, not from this count alone.
What should I do if I already ran VistaShow.exe?
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet. 2) Run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from another device you trust, starting with email and banking, and turn on two-step verification. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch your accounts and tell your bank about payments you don't recognise. 5) If the scan keeps finding it, back up your personal files and reinstall Windows.
How do I remove VistaShow.exe?
To remove VistaShow.exe: 1) run a full scan with your antivirus and let it remove what it finds. 2) Delete it, then empty the Recycle Bin. 3) Check Settings > Apps, your browser extensions, startup apps (Task Manager > Startup apps) and scheduled tasks for anything you don't recognise. 4) Restart and scan again. If it keeps coming back, scan from Safe Mode with Networking, or back up your files and reinstall Windows.
What kind of malware is VistaShow.exe?
Antivirus engines classify VistaShow.exe as a trojan: malware disguised as something harmless so that you run it.
What is the SHA-256 hash of VistaShow.exe?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of VistaShow.exe is b18aee985a949b17ebcc48a2bc6a4b33a73e2da171d767571f41de60e3d511ab, and its MD5 is 055c9bb97993bf40c3ea11abc2aa157a. Two files with the same SHA-256 are identical, so use it to check you have exactly this file, not just one with the same name.
How up to date is this analysis of VistaShow.exe?
This report reflects the scan on Jun 9, 2026. A file's fingerprint never changes, but antivirus engines keep learning, so a rating can change later. To get a newer result, scan the file again: we refresh the antivirus results when the saved ones are out of date.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

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This report and its SHA-256 fingerprint are public, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer; documents and images are listed by type instead of their file name. A file we had not seen before is uploaded to VirusTotal, whose security partners and subscribers can download it; MalwareTips deletes its own copy after the scan. If you ran this file and are worried, scan your device with up-to-date security software.