Is steam.exe safe?
Twenty-three of 74 engines flagged this unsigned executable, with repeated Tedy labels and observed process-injection, event-triggered execution, and reflective-loading techniques.
The unsigned executable drew 23 detections among 74 engines, including multiple high-trust products identifying the Tedy family. One sandbox run recorded three offensive techniques associated with code injection and in-memory loading, although its summary was clean and the observed domain had no adverse reputation hit.
ec0317e61fff19cb1e…4f05a25d4aae5dRecommended next actions
Before running
Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
If you already ran it
Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.
Intelligence
The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.
The unsigned executable drew 23 detections among 74 engines, including multiple high-trust products identifying the Tedy family. One sandbox run recorded three offensive techniques associated with code injection and in-memory loading, although its summary was clean and the observed domain had no adverse reputation hit.
A substantial 23 of 74 engines detected the sample, and the findings are not confined to low-trust scanners. BitDefender, Emsisoft, and GData repeatedly identify Tedy, while ESET-NOD32 and Malwarebytes describe game-hack and DLL-injector behavior. Runtime evidence records T1055.003, T1546.001, and T1620, materially reinforcing those labels. The executable is unsigned, so no authenticated publisher provides a benign explanation for these capabilities. Counter-signals include a clean sandbox summary, ten clean tier-1 results, no adverse hit for the fully inspected observed domain, and no external-intelligence match, but they do not outweigh the combined engine and runtime evidence.
What We Detected
Twenty-three of 74 antivirus engines flagged the executable. BitDefender, Emsisoft, and GData identify Gen:Variant.Application.Tedy.29200, while ESET-NOD32 reports a potentially unsafe game-hack application and Malwarebytes reports a DLL injector. The file is unsigned and therefore lacks an authenticated publisher identity.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox observation recorded T1055.003, T1546.001, and T1620. These techniques cover thread execution hijacking, event-triggered execution, and reflective code loading, which can be used to execute code inside another process or from memory. The sandbox summary itself was clean, and the only observed domain was fully reputation-checked without a malicious or suspicious hit; however, those counter-signals do not explain the offensive execution techniques.
What To Do Now
Do not run the file. Keep endpoint protection enabled, quarantine or remove the sample, and obtain Steam only from Valve's official distribution channel. If it already ran, perform a full system scan and review recently launched game executables and active processes for unauthorized injection or modification.
Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
- behaviour.sandboxVerdicts contains one clean result, despite the same run recording three offensive MITRE techniques.
- 10 tier-1 engines reported the sample clean, and tier1FamilyConsensus.strong=false.
- contactedHosts.inspected=1 found no malicious or suspicious match for assets.msn.com.
- externalIntel.yaraify.ruleCount=0, CIRCL returned no hit, and MalwareBazaar returned no hit.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- One sandbox summary reported clean
- 10 tier-1 engines reported clean
- The fully inspected observed domain had no malicious or suspicious reputation hit
- No MalwareBazaar, CIRCL, or YARAify hit
- No packed or high-entropy code indication
- 23/74 antivirus-engine detections
- Three high-trust malicious votes
- Repeated Tedy-family identification
- Observed T1055.003 process-injection behavior
- Observed T1546.001 event-triggered execution
- Observed T1620 reflective code loading
Quarantine the file and do not execute it; download Steam only through Valve's official website or client channel. If it has already run, keep protection enabled and perform a full endpoint scan.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete23 of 74 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial1 of 2 contacted hosts were cross-checked; coverage is incomplete.
YARA
Complete1 signature or behavior rule matched.
External intel
Complete3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
Runtime flight recorder
Capture complete- 1isolated sandbox run
- 12MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 2spawned processes
- 2network contacts
- 0filesystem & 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: Configured an event-triggered execution mechanism.
High concern: Loaded code directly into memory instead of from a normal file.
Moderate concern: Contained obfuscated or packed code that makes inspection harder.
Moderate concern: Communicated over a common application protocol; malware can use this for command-and-control.
Moderate concern: Scans through your files and folders.
Note: Collects details about your system.
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 trojans work
A trojan disguises itself as something useful or harmless to trick you into running it. Once open, it does its real job in the background — anything 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.
Attack story
Runtime observations grouped by analysis stage. Arrows organize the stages; they do not claim chronology or causality.
Input file
The submitted object
- FileObserved
steam.exe
ec0317e61fff19cb1eb73e9a66a75d8a71b6144878ce0e28fd4f05a25d4aae5d
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\DragonQuestXIS.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\user\Desktop\DragonQuestXIS.exe"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
assets.msn.com
Contact observed during runtime.
04Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
162.159.36.2
Contact observed during runtime.
05Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
5 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in Analyst mode.
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.
- assets.msn.com
- 162.159.36.2
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
Evidence integrity
Chain of custody for the facts preserved in this report.
- 1rule hit recorded
- 23 / 74engines flagged
- 5sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
1 high-confidence signature or behavior rule matched this file.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceDerivedSourceSignature and behavior rulesObserved at - 02
23 of 74 antivirus engines flagged the file, including AhnLab-V3 and ALYac.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 5 times from 5 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: steam.exe — ec0317e61fff19cb1eb73e9a66a75d8a71b6144878ce0e28fd4f05a25d4aae5d
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\DragonQuestXIS.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — "C:\Users\user\Desktop\DragonQuestXIS.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
Contacted host: assets.msn.com — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
Contacted host: 162.159.36.2 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
Category: generic-trojan
MalwareBazaar, YARAify, and CIRCL hashlookup completed and returned no entries for this hash.
Signatures and behavior heuristics
A community signature or high-severity behavioral heuristic matched. Signatures identify known patterns; heuristics are strong leads but are not proof on their own.
The saved runtime evidence maps this activity to MITRE T1055 (Process Injection). The mapping supports possible process injection, but it does not prove the exact injection method or the operator's intent.
Evidence"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\DragonQuestXIS.exe"
23 of 74 engines flagged this file
View all 74 engine results
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.
How widely this file has been seen
Moderate prevalence — neither rare nor common. No strong prior applies.
Fingerprint and provenance
- File name
- steam.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- No verified publisher
- Size
- 706.9 KB
- Last analyzed
- Oct 4, 2026, 6:06 PM UTC
ec0317e61fff19cb1eb73e9a66a75d8a71b6144878ce0e28fd4f05a25d4aae5dSafety & 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.
- Recovery step 01
Don't run this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.
- 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.
- Recovery step 03
If you typed any passwords while it was open, change them from a device you trust.
- 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.
Is steam.exe malware?
What is steam.exe?
How many antivirus engines detected steam.exe?
I already downloaded and ran steam.exe — what should I do?
How do I remove steam.exe?
What kind of malware is steam.exe?
What is the SHA-256 hash of steam.exe?
How up to date is this analysis of steam.exe?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.