MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is loader.exe safe?

Verdict
Malicious

Fifty-four of 74 engines flag this unsigned loader, while high-trust detections and observed injection, LSASS access, and destructive techniques strongly corroborate Magnar-related activity.

The unsigned executable drew detections from 54 of 74 engines, including 12 high-trust votes and repeated Magnar, Dacic, Convagent, and downloader labels. Runtime evidence adds process injection, LSASS targeting, destructive-impact techniques, and staged Python installation, making a false positive highly unlikely.

Do not run this file

Quarantine and delete the executable while keeping endpoint protection enabled. If it ran, isolate the device, perform a full incident-response scan, and reset potentially exposed credentials from a known-clean system.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
54of 74 flagged
Flagged 54No detection 20
Digital specimenloader.exec15e96d305e5459704…be8020c332da0f
Size1.1 MB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxRuntime complete
First seen6d ago
Evidence3 priority signals
1 high-confidence signature or behavior rule matched this file.

Recommended next actions

01

Before running

Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

02

If you already ran it

Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.

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.

98%Confidence
Very high
Analyst conclusion

The unsigned executable drew detections from 54 of 74 engines, including 12 high-trust votes and repeated Magnar, Dacic, Convagent, and downloader labels. Runtime evidence adds process injection, LSASS targeting, destructive-impact techniques, and staged Python installation, making a false positive highly unlikely.

Where this verdict could be wrong5 caveats
  • behaviour.hasMaliciousSandboxVerdict=false, although the completed run still recorded four offensive techniques and LSASS targeting.
  • droppedChildren.hasMaliciousChild=false, but all 10 inspected children have unknown verdicts rather than confirmed benign results.
  • externalIntel.yaraify.ruleCount=0 and externalIntel.circl.hit=false; these absences may reflect intelligence coverage gaps.
  • The Magnar tier-1 family consensus has agreeingEngines=2 and strong=false, while other engines use Dacic, Convagent, FakeTool, or generic Agent labels.
  • contactedHosts.inspected=3 found no cached malicious hosts, but this does not cover every observed IP and URL.

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

Quarantine and delete the executable while keeping endpoint protection enabled. If it ran, isolate the device, perform a full incident-response scan, and reset potentially exposed credentials from a known-clean system.

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

    54 of 74 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Complete

    1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.

  • Network

    Partial

    3 of 13 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.

  • YARA

    Complete

    3 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
  • 25MITRE ATT&CK techniques
  • 15spawned processes
  • 15network contacts
  • 31filesystem & mutex artifacts

What this file does

Observed actions and their security significance

  • High concern: Injected code into another process, a technique that can conceal execution.

  • High concern: Encrypted files or data, behaviour commonly associated with ransomware.

  • High concern: Attempted to impair or bypass security controls.

  • High concern: Manipulated how the operating system loads code, which can redirect execution.

  • Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.

  • 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.

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 downloaders work

This file is a delivery vehicle. On its own it can look small and harmless, but its job is to quietly pull down and install the REAL payload — often a stealer, ransomware, or bot — from a server the attacker controls.

Bottom line:Because the dangerous part arrives later, early scans can look cleaner than the threat really is.

Recorded behavior

Attack story

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

ObservedDerived

7 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 is dangerous. Treat it as harmful and remove it.

  1. Recovery step 01

    Don't run this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

  2. 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.

  3. Recovery step 03

    If any of your files were locked or renamed, do NOT pay the ransom — payment rarely restores files. Recover them from a backup instead.

  4. 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.

8 evidence-based answers
Is loader.exe a virus?
Evidence-based answer
Yes — loader.exe is malicious. Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 54 of 74 antivirus engines flag it (family: Magnar). It behaves as a downloader/dropper whose job is to pull additional malware onto the device. If you've already run it, see the removal and recovery steps below.
What is loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
loader.exe is a Windows executable program, about 1.1 MB. Our analysis identifies it as malicious (family: Magnar) — a downloader/dropper whose job is to pull additional malware onto the device. Because a file's name and icon can be faked, the safest way to identify it is by its cryptographic hash (below), not its filename.
How many antivirus engines detected loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
54 of 74 antivirus engines flagged loader.exe, 54 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. The malicious verdict comes from the complete saved evidence, not from this antivirus count by itself.
What should I do if I already ran loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet to stop the malware communicating or spreading. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software (such as Malwarebytes) and quarantine everything it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from a DIFFERENT, clean device — many threats log keystrokes or steal saved credentials. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch closely for fraud and alert your bank. 5) For a confirmed infection, the most reliable fix is to back up your personal files and reinstall the operating system for a clean start.
How do I remove loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
To remove loader.exe: 1) restart into Safe Mode (Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download a tool) so the malware doesn't auto-start. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software and let it quarantine or delete the detections. 3) Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 4) Check your browser extensions, startup items, and scheduled tasks for anything unfamiliar. 5) Reboot and scan again to confirm it's gone. If detections keep coming back, a clean operating-system reinstall is the most dependable cure.
What kind of malware is loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
loader.exe is classified as a downloader/dropper whose job is to pull additional malware onto the device. Engines attribute it to the Magnar family. Knowing the family matters because it tells you the likely impact — data theft, remote control, file encryption, or unwanted ads — and guides the cleanup.
What is the SHA-256 hash of loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of loader.exe is c15e96d305e54597048f19ce01787bd7fb8b0e2ab3ee28eb12be8020c332da0f, and its MD5 is 2d0f7261210c2c027502587dc14361a9. 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.
How up to date is this analysis of loader.exe?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on September 18, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of loader.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.