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Verdict Safe

Analyzed , 12 hours ago

Is gup.exe safe? Yes, no threats found.

This is the genuine signed Notepad++ updater, flagged by none of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it and widely distributed, so it is safe on its own.

Strong evidence · A verified publisher signature, and no engine flags it.

Run it as usual if it came from the official source

Safe when it comes from the official Notepad++ package. Do not run it if it arrived alongside unexpected extra DLL files or inside an unrelated download.

Good practice2 tips

We found nothing harmful in this file.

  1. Run it only if it came from the developer's own website or an official app store.

  2. Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on.

No scanner can promise a file is 100% safe.

Why we think so

Share this file report

gup.exe: Safe — MalwareTips file scan

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

Antivirus results

0 of 71 flagged

  • Flagged 0
  • No detection 71
  • No result 4
Filegup.exe804.7 kBSHA-256 eaac64c113eb…981cc1
  • Code signing Notepad++
  • Test run Completed
  • First seen 1y ago
It has a long history: seen by 2,922 sources over more than six months.

Chapter 02

Why we think so

2 points against it and 4 in its favour, checked against the scan evidence.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

Analyst conclusion

None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it, and nearly 3,000 sources have submitted it. A split sandbox result and generic community rules do not outweigh that. The only real risk is a malicious DLL planted beside it.

Full reasoning

The file carries a valid signature from Notepad++, a trusted publisher, and none of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flags it, including 18 major antivirus engines that all report clean. It has been submitted by about 2,900 sources since March 2025. The community rules that matched are generic anti-debug, certificate and compiler detectors. One sandbox run returned a malicious label while another returned clean, with no named injection target or other corroboration, which is typical of installer and updater behaviour. Community comments describe a bundle that pairs this genuine updater with a fake DLL; that threat lives in the extra DLL, not in these bytes.

Detailed assessment

What We Detected

No antivirus engine flags this file. It is signed by Notepad++ with a valid signature and matches a trusted publisher. It is also widely seen and consistent with a previous safe verdict for the same signer.

Threat Behavior

The sandbox summary was split, with no named injection target, no dropped files and no malicious contacted hosts. The network contacts are the analysis VM's own background traffic. Community comments warn that attackers sometimes ship this genuine updater next to a fake libcurl.dll that loads a payload. That scenario involves a separate malicious DLL, not the updater itself.

What To Do Now

Use it only from the official Notepad++ distribution. If it arrived in an unrelated download or alongside unexpected DLL files, do not run it.

Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
  • One sandbox run returned a malicious label while another returned clean; the malicious run named no injection target and no corroborating artefact.
  • A community comment describes a malware bundle that abuses the genuine signed Notepad++ updater by loading a fake libcurl.dll placed beside it; the updater itself is legitimate, but it can be misused in such sideloading bundles, so the file's surroundings matter.
  • Another community note mentions the hash being associated with a dropper listing, but this is unverified and no public-database listing exists for this exact hash.

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

Points in its favour
  • Valid signature from the trusted publisher Notepad++
  • None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag the file
  • Submitted by about 2,900 sources since March 2025
  • A previous verdict for the same signer was also safe
Points against
  • Genuine signed updaters can be abused through a malicious DLL placed beside them
  • One sandbox run returned a malicious label that nothing corroborated

6 sources checked · all complete. See every source

Chapter 03

What it did in our test

It ran in 6 isolated tests; 1 test environment rated what it did as risky.

Test run summary

Capture complete
  • 6isolated sandbox runs
  • 13sandbox rule tags
  • 4spawned processes
  • 4network contacts
  • 2filesystem & mutex artifacts
Runtime behaviour

What this file did when executed

This file was detonated in 6 sandboxes and the results were split: 1 returned "malicious" and 1 returned "clean".

1 malicious run

Sandbox verdicts

2
  • VT: MALWAREmalicious
  • VT: CLEANclean

Techniques observed in the sandbox

13

MITRE ATT&CK techniques the sandbox mapped. Highlighted ones are rare in normal software; the others are common in legitimate programs too.

  • T1010
  • T1027· Obfuscated code
  • T1059· Runs commands
  • T1059.001· Runs commands
  • T1063
  • T1071· Application protocol
  • T1082· System recon
  • T1083· Scans your files
  • T1129· Loads modules
  • T1198
  • T1547.001· Auto-start
  • T1574.002· Execution hijack
  • T1614

Observed activity

Processes started
4

Programs the file ran, with their command lines.

  • eaac64c113ebaba1fae924ad1b6239a44c8806bf2b85d8dc11a27ad65a981cc1.exe%SAMPLEPATH%\eaac64c113ebaba1fae924ad1b6239a44c8806bf2b85d8dc11a27ad65a981cc1.exe
  • program.exe"C:\Users\user\Desktop\program.exe" -install
  • program.exe"C:\Users\user\Desktop\program.exe" /install
  • program.exe"C:\Users\user\Desktop\program.exe" /load
Network contacts
4

4 hosts, listed as 4 addresses. Links show the host and path only.

  • IP address23.197.238.105
  • IP address104.98.118.146
  • IP address23.215.176.154
  • IP address23.46.228.49
Files
2

Files the file created, changed or deleted.

  • DeletedC:\Windows\System32\wbem\Performance\WmiApRpl.h
  • DeletedC:\Windows\System32\wbem\Performance\WmiApRpl.ini
Sandbox background — not the file
29

The analysis machine's own processes and connections, recorded in every run.

  • VM processUI0Detect.exeC:\Windows\System32\UI0Detect.exe
  • VM processupdater.exeC:\Program Files\Google2876_276398069\bin\updater.exe
  • VM processupdater.exeC:\Program Files\Google712_788169743\bin\updater.exe
  • VM processupdater.exeC:\Program Files\Google424_1282964599\bin\updater.exe
  • VM processupdater.exeC:\Program Files\Google2984_732520156\bin\updater.exe
  • VM processupdater.exeC:\Program Files\Google2808_7649468\bin\updater.exe
Show all 29 entries for sandbox background — not the file
  • VM injection target\\?\C:\Windows\system32\wbem\WMIADAP.EXE
  • VM injection targetC:\Program Files\Google2876_276398069\bin\updater.exe
  • VM injection targetC:\Program Files\Google712_788169743\bin\updater.exe
  • VM injection targetC:\Program Files\Google424_1282964599\bin\updater.exe
  • VM injection targetC:\Program Files\Google2984_732520156\bin\updater.exe
  • VM hostwww.microsoft.com
  • VM hostres.public.onecdn.static.microsoft
  • VM host192.168.0.47
  • VM host20.99.133.109
  • VM host23.213.37.172
  • VM host192.168.0.82
  • VM host151.101.22.172
  • VM host20.99.186.246
  • VM host23.196.193.245
  • VM host20.69.140.28
  • VM host192.168.0.35
  • VM host23.55.140.42
  • VM hosta83f:8110:0:0:b00:b00:2800:1800
  • VM host192.168.0.9
  • VM host192.168.0.26
  • VM hosta83f:8110:0:0:4d88:21:0:0
  • VM host192.168.0.18
  • VM host23.196.145.221

Chapter 04

Technical details

None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it; signed by Notepad++.

Sources checked

Every check behind this verdict

6 sources checked · all complete. 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 sandboxes · C2AE, CAPA, CAPE SandboxCompleteWorth noting: 6 runs: 1 malicious, 1 clean, 4 without a verdict Details for sandbox run
Contacted hostsMalwareTips URL scannerComplete14 contacted hosts checked Details for contacted hosts
Signature rulesYARAify community rules + MalwareTips rulesComplete7 community YARA rules (generic only) Details for signature rules
Malware sample databaseabuse.ch MalwareBazaarCompleteNot listed
Known-software referenceCIRCL hashlookupCompleteNo match

File fingerprint

Last analyzed
Nov 10, 2026, 4:40 PM UTC
SHA-256
eaac64c113ebaba1fae924ad1b6239a44c8806bf2b85d8dc11a27ad65a981cc1
SHA-1
f61e771c53c63f35f5a2b416c260c74d29329adf
MD5
bca6478b230b6920fe79b97a3066e835

About this file

gup.exe says it is WinGup for Notepad++, 804.7 kB.

Claims to be
WinGup for Notepad++From the file's own version information, written by whoever built it.
Original name
gup.exeMatches the shared file name.
Type and size
Win32 EXE · 804.7 kB
Signer
Notepad++Valid code signature.
First seen
Mar 8, 2025On VirusTotal.
Submitted by
2,922 distinct sources
Packer
None detected
Entropy
6.17 of 8

First scanned

Antivirus consensus

0 of 71 engines flagged this file

0 malicious0 suspicious71 not flagged4 no result

4 of the 75 engines returned no result for this file (file type not supported, or the scan did not finish), so they did not check it.

  • Tier-118 engines
    0flagged
  • Tier-236 engines
    0flagged
  • Low-trust17 engines
    0flagged
No antivirus engine flagged this file.
View all 75 engine results
  • AcronisClean
  • AhnLab-V3Clean
  • AlibabaClean
  • alibabacloudClean
  • ALYacClean
  • Antiy-AVLClean
  • APEXClean
  • ArcabitClean
  • AvastClean
  • Avast-MobileNo result
  • AVGClean
  • AviraClean
  • BitDefenderClean
  • BitDefenderFalxNo result
  • BkavClean
  • CAT-QuickHealClean
  • ClamAVClean
  • CMCClean
  • CrowdStrikeClean
  • CTXClean
  • CylanceClean
  • CynetClean
  • DeepInstinctClean
  • DrWebClean
  • ElasticClean
  • EmsisoftClean
  • ESET-NOD32Clean
  • F-SecureClean
  • FortinetClean
  • GDataClean
  • GoogleClean
  • GridinsoftClean
  • huorongClean
  • IkarusClean
  • JiangminClean
  • K7AntiVirusClean
  • K7GWClean
  • KasperskyClean
  • KingsoftClean
  • LionicClean
  • MalwarebytesClean
  • MaxSecureClean
  • McAfeeDClean
  • MicrosoftClean
  • MicroWorld-eScanClean
  • NANO-AntivirusClean
  • PaloaltoClean
  • PandaClean
  • RisingClean
  • SangforClean
  • SentinelOneClean
  • SkyhighClean
  • SophosClean
  • SUPERAntiSpywareClean
  • SymantecClean
  • SymantecMobileInsightNo result
  • TACHYONClean
  • tehtrisClean
  • TencentClean
  • TrapmineClean
  • TrellixENSClean
  • TrendMicroClean
  • TrendMicro-HouseCallClean
  • TrustlookNo result
  • VaristClean
  • VBA32Clean
  • VIPREClean
  • VirITClean
  • ViRobotClean
  • WebrootClean
  • XcitiumClean
  • YandexClean
  • ZillyaClean
  • ZoneAlarmClean
  • ZonerClean
Rule-based evidence

Signatures and behavior heuristics

Community YARA rules matched, but all of them are generic capability, anti-debug or compiler rules that ordinary software also matches. Worth noting, not on their own cause for alarm.

7 YARA
Community YARA rules
Researcher-authored signatures reported by YARAify
  • cobalt_strike_tmp01925d3fgeneric
  • DebuggerCheck__APIgeneric
  • golang_bin_JCorn_CSC846generic
  • pe_detect_tls_callbacksgeneric
  • PE_Digital_Certificategeneric
  • VECT_Ransomwaregeneric
  • Sus_Obf_Enc_Spoof_Hide_PEgeneric
PE forensics

Section entropy & packers

No high-entropy executable section or known packer signature was detected. Data and resource sections can still have high entropy without indicating packed code.

ent 6.17Unpacked
Section entropy6 sections
.text
6.47
.rdata
5.19
.data
3.88
.pdata
5.84
.rsrc
4.16
.reloc
5.43
0.0Packed threshold 7.28.0
Prevalence

How widely this file has been seen

Widely seen in the wild for a long time. High prior this is legitimate; isolated detections on common-old files are usually false positives.

Common & old
Unique uploaders
2,922
Hundreds of people have uploaded this — common.
Total submissions
4,198
Includes repeat uploads by the same source.
First seen
2y ago
Mar 8, 2025
Prevalence quadrant
Rare · New
Needs evidence-led scrutiny
Common · New
Just-released software
Rare · Old
Niche or internal tooling
here
Common · Old
Often established software

Chapter 05

Questions & answers

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

Is gup.exe safe?
We found nothing harmful in gup.exe. None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag it. It has a valid digital signature from Notepad++. Run it only if it came from the developer's own website or an official app store.
What is gup.exe?
gup.exe is a Windows program, about 804.7 kB. Its version information says it is “WinGup for Notepad++”. The digital signature from Notepad++ checks out. VirusTotal first saw it on Mar 8, 2025.
How many antivirus engines detected gup.exe?
None of the 71 antivirus engines that checked it flag gup.exe. That is a good sign, but not proof, so we also weigh who made it, how widely it is used and what it did in a test run.
Is gup.exe digitally signed?
Yes. gup.exe has a valid digital signature from Notepad++, which shows the file hasn't been changed since that publisher signed it. Malware is sometimes signed with stolen certificates, so a signature alone isn't proof of safety.
What is the SHA-256 hash of gup.exe?
The SHA-256 fingerprint of gup.exe is eaac64c113ebaba1fae924ad1b6239a44c8806bf2b85d8dc11a27ad65a981cc1, and its MD5 is bca6478b230b6920fe79b97a3066e835. 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.
Is it safe to run gup.exe?
We found nothing harmful in gup.exe, and its digital signature checks out. The main caveat is where you got it: attackers sometimes spread malware under the name of real software, so get it from the official website. If your own antivirus warns about it, check the source before you ignore the warning.
How up to date is this analysis of gup.exe?
This report reflects the scan on Nov 10, 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 signer, and recent reports with the same rating. A matching signer does not make two files the same: only the SHA-256 fingerprint identifies a file.

All file reports
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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.