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Verdict Suspicious

Analyzed , 1 month ago

Is steam_api.dll safe? Treat it as suspicious.

This Steam API library carries a Valve signature that fails verification because the file was altered after signing, though none of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag…

Read the whole reasonShow less

Why Suspicious? A community rule for known malware matched it; nothing else confirms it.

Limited evidence · One sign points to a problem; nothing else confirms it.

Don't use it until you know where it came from

Treat this as an unofficial, modified Steam library and use one only from a source you trust. Where possible, replace it with the original file by verifying the game's files through Steam.

What to do now4 steps

Some signs point to a problem, but nothing confirms it is harmful. Treat it with caution.

What to do

  1. Don't use it unless you're sure where it came from.

  2. Check where you got it: an unexpected attachment, a link someone sent you or a re-upload is a red flag.

  3. If you can't confirm where it came from, delete it. If you need the program, download it again from the publisher's own website.

If you already used it

  1. Stop using it, run a full scan with your antivirus and watch for unexpected behavior or security alerts.

Not sure what to do?

Ask the MalwareTips community before you run it. If you already ran it, follow the cleanup guide.

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

Why we think so

Share this file report

steam_api.dll: Suspicious — 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

0 of 71 flagged

  • Flagged 0
  • No detection 71
  • No result 4
Filesteam_api.dll732.5 kBSHA-256 d00a9b72e696…38a25f
  • Code signing Signer not verified
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 2y ago
1 strong detection rule matched this file.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

3 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

The file presents itself as Valve's Steam API library, but its signature no longer matches its contents, which means it was modified after Valve signed it. None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, it has been widely shared since June 2024, and one community malware rule matched it. Modified copies like this usually come from game cracks or emulators, so the exact code cannot be trusted.

Where this verdict could be wrong2 caveats
  • None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flags the file, and it has circulated among 2,752 sources since June 2024. Together these suggest a modified game library such as a Steam emulator or crack component, not a malware payload.
  • Only one malware-specific YARA rule matched, and it describes a PowerShell-based dropper, which matches the profile of this DLL poorly.

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
  • 9sandbox rule tags
  • 14spawned processes
  • 0network contacts
  • 2filesystem & 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: Listed the programs running on the test computer.

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

  • Note: Looked through folders on the test computer (most installers do this).

  • 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 contacting a server, but no contacted host was recorded.

  • Not confirmed: A sandbox rule tagged this run as changing how Windows loads code; 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.

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 4: FileSeen in the test run

      steam_api.dll

      d00a9b72e696cf5c88a5b4bbc4d7d308f9bac51a8c4712d6b26cfd863938a25f

      Uploaded file

  2. Processes

    What ran

    2
    1. Evidence 2 of 4: ProcessSeen in the test run

      rundll32.exe

      "C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\readme.dll",#1

      Test run
    2. Evidence 3 of 4: ProcessSeen in the test run

      loaddll64.exe

      C:\Windows\System32\loaddll64.exe loaddll64.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\steam_api64.dll"

      Test run
    3. +1 more recorded observation

  3. Files

    Created or changed

    1
    1. Evidence 4 of 4: Written fileSeen in the test run

      Connect

      \Device\ConDrv\\Connect

      Test run

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

Chapter 04

Technical details

None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; a signature that did not verify.

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 enginesCompletePositive signal: 0 of 71 engines flagged it · 4 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 rulesCompleteWorth noting: 10 community YARA rules (1 malware-specific) Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Aug 30, 2026, 8:40 AM UTC
SHA-256
d00a9b72e696cf5c88a5b4bbc4d7d308f9bac51a8c4712d6b26cfd863938a25f
SHA-1
28a1552db71394dea425f63fb51a7f170f5e276e
MD5
87ea1775f0cee3649dbb31043eb51fc0

About this file

steam_api.dll is a Win32 DLL file of 732.5 kB.

Type and size
Win32 DLL · 732.5 kB
Signer
Valve Corp. (unverified signature)Worth noting: Malware sometimes copies or steals a company's signature, so this does not mean that company made it.
First seen
Jun 27, 2024On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
2,752 distinct sources
Packer
None detected
Entropy
7.68 of 8

First scanned Updated

Verdict history

  1. Safe
  2. Suspiciousafter a re-check of the saved evidence

Ratings change when antivirus engines, our checks or MalwareTips staff learn more about a file.

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

Short answers to the 7 questions people ask most about this file.

Is steam_api.dll safe, or is it malware?
steam_api.dll is rated Suspicious: some signs point to a problem, but nothing confirms it is harmful. No antivirus engine flags it; the caution comes from other evidence, such as who made it, how widely it is used or what it did in a test run. Don't use it unless you're sure where it came from. If a program needs this file, reinstall that program from its official website instead of replacing the file on its own.
What is steam_api.dll?
steam_api.dll is a Windows library (DLL), about 732.5 kB. It carries no version information saying what it is or who made it. VirusTotal first saw it on Jun 27, 2024.
How many antivirus engines detected steam_api.dll?
None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag steam_api.dll. A clean antivirus result is not proof of safety; the caution comes from other evidence, such as who made it, how widely it is used or what it did in a test run.
What should I do if I already used steam_api.dll?
No infection is confirmed: the rating is a caution, not a malware finding. 1) Check where it came from. If you can't confirm the source, delete it. 2) Run a full scan with your security software. 3) If the scan finds something, follow its removal steps and change passwords you typed on the device since then.
Is steam_api.dll digitally signed?
It carries a signature in the name of Valve Corp. that could not be verified. Malware sometimes copies or steals a company's signature, so this does not mean that company made it.
What is the SHA-256 hash of steam_api.dll?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of steam_api.dll is d00a9b72e696cf5c88a5b4bbc4d7d308f9bac51a8c4712d6b26cfd863938a25f, and its MD5 is 87ea1775f0cee3649dbb31043eb51fc0. 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 steam_api.dll?
This report reflects the scan on Aug 30, 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.

Related file reports

Other files people checked with the same name, and recent reports with the same rating. A matching name does not make two files the same: only the SHA-256 fingerprint identifies a file.

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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.