Suspicious
Unsigned 42 MB executable shows process-injection behaviour and direct-IP contact with no AV detections.
c7ec4f552e777d3949…f4461926cdThe reasoning behind this verdict
The MT AI Engine weighs every signal from this scan — antivirus detections, sandbox behaviour, code signing, prevalence and historical matches — to reach a single, evidence-based verdict.
All 69 reporting engines returned clean results, including 17 tier-1 engines, eliminating any engine-based malicious consensus. However, the sandbox recorded T1055 process injection and a direct-IP connection to 162.159.36.2 with no domain resolution, both flagged by our heuristics as suspicious patterns. The file is unsigned and has no signer history, removing the safety net that a trusted publisher would provide. Medium prevalence indicates the binary is not brand-new but also not widely distributed, so reputation cannot be used to offset the behavioural red flags. The absence of dropped malicious children or malicious sandbox verdicts prevents a definitive malicious call, leaving the file in the suspicious category.
Each signal cites a concrete token from the evidence the arbiter saw — engine name, MITRE technique, signer string, or an exact count.
engines.tier1Malicious=0 with 17 tier-1 engines reporting clean
behaviour.offensiveTechniques=["T1055"] and triggeredHeuristics[0].rule=MalwareTips.Synth.ProcessInjection
contactedIps=["162.159.36.2"] with zero contactedDomains
signing.verified=false and prevalence.classification=medium
- Zero detections from 69 engines including 17 tier-1
- No malicious sandbox verdict
- No dropped malicious children
- Unsigned executable
- T1055 process injection observed
- Direct-IP contact without DNS
Treat as untrusted until a signed version or additional provenance is obtained; run only in a controlled test environment.
What this file does
What it attempted when executed in an isolated sandbox
High concern: Hides inside another running program to evade antivirus.
High concern: Records what you type — keylogger behaviour.
High concern: Hijacks how Windows loads programs so it runs automatically.
Moderate concern: Obfuscates or packs its code to avoid detection.
Moderate concern: Runs hidden system commands (script or shell).
Moderate concern: Connects out to 1 server on the internet.
Note: Collects details about your system.
Translated from the file's technical behaviour during analysis. It never ran on your device.
What to do now
We couldn't fully clear this file. Treat it with caution.
Don't run it unless you're certain it came from a source you trust.
Check where you got it — an email attachment or a random download link is a red flag.
If you're unsure, delete it. You can always re-download a clean copy from the official source.
If you're still unsure, scan it again in a day or two — detections often catch up on newer files.
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.
- 162.159.36.2
- 0x0
- Global\冰͝
YARA & heuristic rule matches
A researcher-curated or high-severity heuristic rule matched this sample. These rules target specific malware families and are near-definitive.
MITRE T1055 (Process Injection) observed — CreateRemoteThread / APC / reflective-DLL injection. The payload is being smuggled into a legitimate process to bypass AV hooks.
Evidence"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\program.exe"Sample contacted 1 external IP address(es) and zero domains. Benign software virtually always uses DNS; no-DNS direct-IP C2 is a strong malware indicator because it bypasses reputation systems and dodges domain-based blocklists.
Evidence162.159.36.2
0 detections across 73 engines
How widely this file has been seen
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Forensic fingerprint
- File name
- PDFelement.exe
- Size
- 40.86 MB
- MIME type
- (unknown)
- Detected type
- Win32 EXE
- SHA-256
- c7ec4f552e777d3949610bf23dc1648e79cf3cbbe379dec8c6fe65f4461926cd
- MD5
- be8aca506e044d2ab105d6f0be25edfd
- SHA-1
- d82e4d7de092f9c925225ef32e55ba7ec1f53adc
- First seen (VT)
- 6/30/2026, 7:36:20 AM
- Last analysis (VT)
- 7/7/2026, 8:51:57 AM
- First scan (MalwareTips)
- 7/14/2026, 9:41:52 AM
- Last scan (MalwareTips)
- 7/14/2026, 9:41:52 AM
Safety FAQ
Common questions about PDFelement.exe, answered from the scan data above.
- PDFelement.exe is suspicious — treat it as unsafe until you're sure. 0 of 73 antivirus engines flag it, which isn't a strong consensus but is enough to be cautious. Don't run it unless you fully trust where it came from, and prefer downloading the software fresh from its official site.
- PDFelement.exe is a Windows executable program, about 40.9 MB. We identify a file by its cryptographic hash rather than its name, because the same filename can be reused by completely different files — the hash below is the reliable fingerprint.
- None — all 73 antivirus engines we queried report PDFelement.exe as clean. That's reassuring, though brand-new malware can briefly evade detection before vendors add signatures, so we also weigh the file's behaviour and reputation.
- 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.
- To remove PDFelement.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 the original PDFelement.exe file and empty the Recycle Bin/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.
- The SHA-256 hash of PDFelement.exe is c7ec4f552e777d3949610bf23dc1648e79cf3cbbe379dec8c6fe65f4461926cd, and its MD5 is be8aca506e044d2ab105d6f0be25edfd. 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.
- This report reflects the scan run on July 14, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of PDFelement.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.
Reviews & malware reports(0)
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