Our call: Is icarus_sfx.exe safe?Safe
Legitimate Piriform (CCleaner) self-extracting installer signed by trusted Gen Digital, with one low-trust generic detection and clean runtime behavior.
- The file has a valid code signature from Gen Digital Inc..Observed · Code-signing metadata
- 1 of 76 antivirus engines flagged the file, including Webroot.Observed · Antivirus analysis
- The hash has been submitted 20 times from 17 sources.Derived · Saved report facts
f865d2879b89045995…116115dd16Before running
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
If you already ran it
Keep normal device protection enabled and stop if the file behaves unexpectedly.
Coverage & freshness
Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.
Antivirus
Complete1 of 76 engines flagged the file.
Sandbox
Complete1 isolated runtime environment contributed observations.
Network
Complete2 contacted hosts were cross-checked.
YARA
Complete2 signature or behavior rules matched.
External intel
Complete3 of 3 independent reference sources completed.
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
icarus_sfx.exe
f865d2879b890459952a1e6dd1d881e89d84325b3bf8035ba63ae3116115dd16
01Uploaded file
Processes
Runtime execution
- ProcessObserved
Observed process
"C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\executable.exe"
02Isolated runtime analysis - ProcessObserved
Observed process
C:\Windows\Temp\asw-46f80b95-0a6d-4866-8bb4-1bd76a4c6f39\common\icarus.exe /icarus-info-path:C:\Windows\Temp\asw-46f80b95-0a6d-4866-8bb4-1bd76a4c6f39\icarus-info.xml /install /sssid:6540
03Isolated runtime analysis
Files
Created or changed
- Written fileObserved
sfx.log
C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log
04Isolated runtime analysis - Written fileObserved
sfx.log.tmp.4c87b095-2f54-41ae-b0d8-0f4cd90c108a
C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log.tmp.4c87b095-2f54-41ae-b0d8-0f4cd90c108a
05Isolated runtime analysis
Network
Hosts contacted
- Contacted hostObserved
34.117.223.223
Contact observed during runtime.
06Isolated runtime analysis - Contacted hostObserved
23.221.220.52
Contact observed during runtime.
07Isolated runtime analysis
7 recorded facts from one runtime window. Every fact remains independently traceable in the evidence ledger below.
Why these facts are shown
Each statement identifies whether it was directly recorded or derived from saved scan facts.
- 01
The file has a valid code signature from Gen Digital Inc..
ProvenanceObservedSourceCode-signing metadataObserved at - 02
1 of 76 antivirus engines flagged the file, including Webroot.
Verdict inputView chapterProvenanceObservedSourceAntivirus analysisObserved at - 03
The hash has been submitted 20 times from 17 sources.
ProvenanceDerivedSourceSaved report factsObserved at - 04
Scanned file: icarus_sfx.exe — f865d2879b890459952a1e6dd1d881e89d84325b3bf8035ba63ae3116115dd16
ProvenanceObservedSourceUploaded fileObserved at - 05
Observed process — "C:\Users\<USER>\Desktop\executable.exe"
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 06
Observed process — C:\Windows\Temp\asw-46f80b95-0a6d-4866-8bb4-1bd76a4c6f39\common\icarus.exe /icarus-info-path:C:\Windows\Temp\asw-46f80b95-0a6d-4866-8bb4-1bd76a4c6f39\icarus-info.xml /install /sssid:6540
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 07
File written: sfx.log — C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 08
File written: sfx.log.tmp.4c87b095-2f54-41ae-b0d8-0f4cd90c108a — C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log.tmp.4c87b095-2f54-41ae-b0d8-0f4cd90c108a
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 09
Contacted host: 34.117.223.223 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at - 10
Contacted host: 23.221.220.52 — Contact observed during runtime.
ProvenanceObservedSourceIsolated runtime analysisObserved at
Intelligence
The complete saved assessment, kept intact and grounded in the scan evidence.
The reasoning behind this verdict
This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.
Our analysis shows this as a verified Gen Digital-signed installer for Piriform Icarus/CCL components, downloading updates from official avcdn.net servers. A single low-trust engine flagged it generically, but no tier-1 detections or malicious behavior observed. Safe to use.
The file matches the signed commercial FP shape: verified signature from curated trusted publisher Gen Digital, minimal low-trust detections only, no tier-1 consensus, clean sandbox behavior, and no malicious children or hosts. Behavior aligns with installer activity, dropping icarus.exe and contacting Piriform/Avast CDNs for definitions. The direct-IP heuristic is outweighed by signer trust and URL evidence. Medium prevalence and tags like long-sleeps are consistent with legitimate software.
What We Detected
One low-trust engine (Webroot) flagged 'Win.Trojan.Gen'; all 17 tier-1 engines clean. Signed by verified 'Gen Digital Inc.' (trusted publisher match).
Threat Behavior
Zero offensive MITRE techniques; ambient installer actions like disk checks and HTTP to avcdn.net/honzik.avcdn.net for piriform-ccl updates. Drops icarus.exe processes with /install flags; no persistence or malicious contacts.
What To Do Now
Safe for use; matches Piriform CCleaner installer pattern. Delete if unused.
Where this verdict could be wrong3 caveats
- triggeredHeuristics.MalwareTips.Synth.DirectIpC2 fired (medium severity) citing 7 contactedIps with no domains, but contactedUrls show avcdn.net domains — possible heuristic imprecision on CDN resolution.
- signerStats.totalSamples=1 too low for autoTrusted=true, though trustedPublisher.matched overrides.
- filenameAnalysis all false; 'icarus_sfx.exe' unclassified but matches observed piriform-ccl drops.
These are the assessment's weak points. If you believe one applies to your file, report the verdict and we'll re-review it.
- Trusted publisher 'Gen Digital' match
- 17/17 tier-1 engines clean
- Piriform/Avast CDN contacts for legit defs
- No malicious sandbox or children
- 0 offensive MITRE techniques
- Single generic low-trust detection (Webroot)
- Direct IP contacts triggered heuristic (likely CDN resolution)
- Low signerStats samples (1 total)
This is a safe, legitimate installer from Piriform (CCleaner ecosystem). Run if needed for updates; otherwise, remove unnecessary executables.
Behavior
Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.
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.
- 34.117.223.223
- 23.221.220.52
- 34.160.176.28
- 23.221.220.70
- 8.8.8.8
- 23.53.11.141
- 208.89.75.147
- https://analytics.avcdn.net/v4/receive/json/25
- https://shepherd.avcdn.net/?p_age=0&p_bld=mmm_ccl_008_999_a10d_m&p_cpua=x64&p_icar=1&p_lng=en&p_midex=97B7721C4994E2556FF6A439510F665DC7076870BB538998334766988BDCE31D&p_olpeid=8cd9b1b1-452b-4a39-a058-2f0cc5ec240f&p_olpfp=FEC260E6F89774EF08792D2989D90C3B&p_ost=0&p_osv=10.0.19044&p_pro=111&p_prod=piriform-ccl&p_ram=16384&p_vbd=1275&p_vep=7&p_ves=6&p_vre=1607&repoid=release&
- analytics.avcdn.net/v4/receive/json/25
- honzik.avcdn.net/defs/piriform-ccl/release.xml.lzma
- honzik.avcdn.net/universe/094a/e716/bca9/094ae716bca95e01163dbd03b5f2877a646407a9c54c2e837a846e02174125e4.lzma
- honzik.avcdn.net/universe/0956/3e04/2918/09563e042918eb1c15647bb0ce66e952ade793781c054913d29c99fb61850334.lzma
- C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log
- C:\ProgramData\Piriform\Icarus\Logs\sfx.log.tmp.4c87b095-2f54-41ae-b0d8-0f4cd90c108a
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\D566D7D7-DCD6-471C-8109-BE0AD33199E3
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\6358C710-B89F-46B9-93F2-F6CAC44F5286
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\CabAD0A.tmp
- C:\Users\<USER>\AppData\Local\Temp\TarAD0B.tmp
- Global\25f80c65fc4bf9f6eea20cdbc70dd4c2
- Global\348cf4229b5ea7fd858d4f580214c358
- Global\5c96c7b59b25aa8f1517387dceb71552
- Global\d28218099b482e81f10c092677dd3fe0
- Global\b989482194eb59dc47bab6088a305e8c
Files this sample writes at runtime
This file drops 10 children at runtime. None are currently flagged malicious in our cache.
- 097709779bf6e7a3f93b…c44493Never scannednever seen before
- cacace6d2783540ddfae…0e6b6cNever scannednever seen before
- 8e511706c04e382e5815…2878b9Never scannednever seen before
- 094ae716bca95e01163d…4125e4Never scannednever seen before
- db86ebb3202f4e17bc89…586663Never scannednever seen before
- 09563e042918eb1c1564…850334Never scannednever seen before
- b639c62327c23f24310f…ed920cNever scannednever seen before
- dee6d211d1ee1a674ac9…aadcdcNever scannednever seen before
- 4d6acde9a68b34b03e63…f026bbNever scannednever seen before
- e722c3feca975ca8bd0b…93b41bNever scannednever seen before
Detection & Forensics
Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.
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
Behavioral heuristics matched patterns associated with malware. Corroborating evidence determines how much weight they carry.
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.
Evidence34.117.223.223 · 23.221.220.52 · 34.160.176.28Signed by "Gen Digital Inc." — short generic company CN. Paired with 1 engine hit(s); possible stolen, fraudulent, or reseller-purchased code-signing certificate.
EvidenceGen Digital Inc.
1 of 76 engines flagged this file
View all 76 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
- icarus_sfx.exe
- Format
- Win32 EXE
- Code signing
- Signature valid: Gen Digital Inc.
- Size
- 1.7 MB
- Last analyzed
- Apr 24, 2026, 5:16 AM UTC
f865d2879b890459952a1e6dd1d881e89d84325b3bf8035ba63ae3116115dd16Safety & FAQ
Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.
What to do now
This file appears low risk based on the evidence available now.
Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
A clean result reduces known risk, but it cannot guarantee that every new or targeted threat has been detected.
Keep your antivirus and Windows updates switched on so you stay protected.
Safety FAQ
- icarus_sfx.exe appears safe. 1 of 76 antivirus engines flagged it; the 1 detection were treated as non-decisive after the wider evidence was weighed. It carries a verified digital signature from Gen Digital Inc.. Run it only when it came from the developer's official site or another source you independently trust.
- icarus_sfx.exe is a Windows executable program, about 1.7 MB. Our analysis did not identify a verdict-driving threat signal. It carries a verified digital signature from Gen Digital Inc.. A file's name can be reused by different files, so we identify it by its cryptographic hash (below).
- 1 of 76 antivirus engines flagged icarus_sfx.exe, 1 of them as outright malicious. The raw count alone does not establish safety or danger; we also weigh which engines flagged it and corroborating behavior, identity, reputation, and rule evidence.
- Yes — icarus_sfx.exe carries a valid digital signature from Gen Digital Inc., which confirms the file hasn't been tampered with since that publisher signed it. A valid signature is a positive signal, but note that malware is occasionally signed with stolen or abused certificates, so it isn't proof of safety on its own.
- The SHA-256 hash of icarus_sfx.exe is f865d2879b890459952a1e6dd1d881e89d84325b3bf8035ba63ae3116115dd16, and its MD5 is a89c041f764df30a9de18e012075bea6. 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.
- Based on the recorded evidence, icarus_sfx.exe has a low observed risk and is properly signed. The important caveat is source: make sure you downloaded it from the official website or a trusted store, because attackers sometimes distribute malware-laced copies under a legitimate file's name. If your own antivirus flags it, verify the source and the exact hash before overriding the warning.
- This report reflects the scan run on April 22, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of icarus_sfx.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.