Is steam_api.dll safe?
Only 2 of 75 engines raised generic Artemis alerts, but the unverified Valve signature and unchecked direct-IP contact prevent full reassurance.
The detection pattern leans toward a false positive: all 17 tier-1 engines were silent, two related signer matches were previously clean, and the sandbox produced no malicious verdict. However, the signature was not verified and one direct IP contact lacks a completed reputation check, so caution remains appropriate.
f480de9ae15e17fb6e…aa61d518587b79Recommended next actions
Before using
Do not use it until the source and publisher can be verified independently.
If you already used it
Stop using it, scan the device, and watch for unexpected behavior or security alerts. Reinstall the parent software from the developer's official site instead of replacing this component by itself.
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 detection pattern leans toward a false positive: all 17 tier-1 engines were silent, two related signer matches were previously clean, and the sandbox produced no malicious verdict. However, the signature was not verified and one direct IP contact lacks a completed reputation check, so caution remains appropriate.
Two of 75 engines raised generic Artemis detections, while none of the 17 tier-1 engines flagged the DLL or agreed on a malware family. One sandbox run recorded no offensive-only techniques, no persistence, no dropped child, and no malicious sandbox assessment. The claimed Valve Corp. signer has two prior safe samples, and two signer-matched files received prior clean assessments. However, signature verification is unavailable and the file is tagged with an invalid signature, substantially weakening publisher attribution. A direct connection to 162.159.36.2 was observed, but no complete host-reputation result is available, leaving mixed rather than conclusive evidence.
What We Detected
Skyhigh and TrellixENS were the only 2 of 75 engines to flag the DLL, both using generic Artemis trojan labels. All 17 tier-1 engines reported no detection, and there is no agreed malware family. The file is attributed to Valve Corp., but signature verification is unavailable and an invalid-signature tag is present.
Threat Behavior
One completed sandbox run produced no malicious verdict, offensive-only technique, persistence indicator, or dropped child. It did observe a direct connection to 162.159.36.2 and ordinary DLL-loading activity. Because the contacted-host cross-check was not completed or saved, the IP's reputation cannot be characterized from this evidence.
What To Do Now
Obtain steam_api.dll through Steam's official installation or repair function and compare or replace the local copy. Keep endpoint protection enabled, and quarantine the file if it came from a crack, repack, mod bundle, or other unofficial source.
Where this verdict could be wrong4 caveats
- The file has an invalid-signature tag and signing.verified=null, so the claimed 'Valve Corp.' signature cannot be treated as cryptographically verified.
- Skyhigh and TrellixENS flagged the sample with Artemis trojan heuristics, although neither supplied a corroborated malware family.
- The sandbox contacted 162.159.36.2 directly, and contactedHosts=null means its reputation was not fully checked.
- Community annotations report suspicious XORed imports and conflicting automated sandbox assessments; these are uncorroborated by current YARAify results.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- All 17 tier-1 engines reported no detection.
- Only 2 of 75 engines flagged the file, with no family consensus.
- One sandbox run produced no malicious verdict and no offensive-only techniques.
- No malicious dropped child was identified.
- Two prior signer-matched files received safe verdicts.
- The claimed Valve Corp. signature is not verified and the file has an invalid-signature tag.
- Skyhigh and TrellixENS produced generic Artemis trojan detections.
- The sandbox contacted 162.159.36.2 directly.
- No complete reputation result is available for the contacted IP.
- Community annotations contain conflicting sandbox and suspicious-import reports.
Replace this DLL using Steam's official verify-files or reinstall feature, especially if it came from an unofficial package. Keep antivirus and endpoint protection enabled while doing so.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete2 of 75 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Partial1 runtime contact was observed without a completed reputation cross-check.
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
- 5MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 8spawned processes
- 1network contacts
- 1filesystem & mutex artifacts
What this file does
Observed actions and their security significance
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.
Note: Loads extra code modules while running.
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.
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_api.dll
f480de9ae15e17fb6e84ad0efa8a386095700cfb7f405bfd64aa61d518587b79
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\steam_api64.dll",#1
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\System32\loaddll64.exe loaddll64.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\steam_api64.dll"
03Isolated runtime analysis - +1 more recorded observation in Analyst mode
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
Connect
\Device\ConDrv\\Connect
04Isolated runtime analysis
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
162.159.36.2
Contact observed during runtime.
05Isolated runtime analysis
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.
- 162.159.36.2
- \Device\ConDrv\\Connect
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
- 2 / 75engines flagged
- 3,561sources in submission history
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
2 of 75 antivirus engines flagged the file, including Skyhigh and TrellixENS.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 02
The hash has been submitted 10,671 times from 3,561 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 03
Scanned file: steam_api.dll — f480de9ae15e17fb6e84ad0efa8a386095700cfb7f405bfd64aa61d518587b79
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 04
Observed process — "C:\Windows\sysnative\rundll32.exe" "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\steam_api64.dll",#1
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 05
Observed process — C:\Windows\System32\loaddll64.exe loaddll64.exe "C:\Users\user\Desktop\steam_api64.dll"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
File written: Connect — \Device\ConDrv\\Connect
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
Contacted host: 162.159.36.2 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Detection sources at a glance
The available sources did not agree on a named threat category.
MalwareBazaar, YARAify, and CIRCL hashlookup completed and returned no entries for this hash.
Signatures and behavior heuristics
Low-severity pattern matches — worth noting but not on their own cause for alarm.
The sample contacted an external IP address directly and no application domain was recorded. Direct-IP traffic also occurs in legitimate installers and infrastructure, so this is supporting context only and requires corroboration from host reputation and other runtime evidence.
Evidence162.159.36.2
2 of 75 engines flagged this file
View all 75 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_api.dll
- Format
- Win32 DLL
- Code signing
- Signature not verified: Valve Corp.
- Size
- 1.0 MB
- Last analyzed
- Sep 23, 2026, 3:17 PM UTC
f480de9ae15e17fb6e84ad0efa8a386095700cfb7f405bfd64aa61d518587b79Safety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
We couldn't fully clear this file. Treat it with caution.
- Recovery step 01
Don't use it unless you're certain it came from a source you trust.
- Recovery step 02
Check where you got it — an unexpected attachment or a random download link is a red flag.
- Recovery step 03
Do not delete or replace the component manually. Quarantine it with your antivirus or repair the parent software from its official source. Reinstall the parent software from the developer's official site instead of replacing this component by itself.
- Recovery step 04
If you're still unsure, scan it again in a day or two — detections often catch up on newer files.
Safety FAQ
Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is steam_api.dll safe, or is it malware?
What is steam_api.dll?
How many antivirus engines detected steam_api.dll?
What should I do if I already used steam_api.dll?
How do I remove steam_api.dll?
Is steam_api.dll digitally signed?
What is the SHA-256 hash of steam_api.dll?
How up to date is this analysis of steam_api.dll?
Community
Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.