Is secure.eicar.org safe?
https://secure.eicar.org/eicar.com.txt
Checked on
How we checked
Coverage: strong · 3 of 4 applicable core capabilities
- Antivirus (63 of 93 engines answered): completed
- Google Safe Browsing: completed
- page reading · limited: did not fully complete
- page capture: completed
- domain records: completed
- web research: completed
Legitimate antivirus test file, not active malware
This URL serves the standardized EICAR antivirus test string. Independent research identifies it as a harmless file created to test antivirus functionality, so its security detections are expected rather than evidence of an active malicious payload.
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Where this site sits
- Dangerous1–20
- High Risk21–44
- Moderate Risk45–69
- Low Risk70–84
- Safe85–100
The score combines saved evidence strength and analysis quality. Coverage is reported separately.
Why 96/100
Safe covers scores 85–100. 1 finding pulled the score down; 5 pushed it up.
What pulled the score down
- Decisive7 independent antivirus families reported an adverse result.
What pushed the score up
- SupportsIndependent documentation identifies the EICAR file as harmless and designed to test antivirus functionality.
- SupportsThe retrieved content displays the standard EICAR antivirus test-file string.
- SupportsThe saved Safe Browsing check returned no threat warning.
- SupportsThe saved TLS check found a valid encrypted connection
- SupportsThe registrable domain is 10429 days old
No points per finding are stored for this report: our analysis weighed all findings together to set the score. Each finding shows its saved severity instead (Decisive, Strong, Moderate or Minor). Community reviews never change the Safety Score.
01 · Investigation Brief
Investigation Brief
This URL serves the standardized EICAR antivirus test string. Independent research identifies it as a harmless file created to test antivirus functionality, so its security detections are expected rather than evidence of an active malicious payload.
Why antivirus software flags it
The retrieved content contains the EICAR standard antivirus test-file string, and independent documentation describes this file as harmless and intended to verify antivirus detection.
Nine engines marked the file malicious and one marked it suspicious, while the aggregate check recorded adverse results from seven antivirus families. These alerts are consistent with the file's documented testing purpose.
Technical and site context
The saved checks found no Safe Browsing warning and confirmed a valid encrypted connection. The registrable domain is also reported as 10,429 days old.
The scanner could not review ordinary page, contact, About, or policy text because this URL returned non-HTML content. That limitation is expected for a direct text-file URL and does not contradict the independently documented purpose of the file.
Why the score is 96
The saved checks and analysis found no material threat. Coverage remains separate so missing sources cannot be mistaken for clean results.
02 · Security Evidence
Security evidence
Antivirus Engines
10/ 93
detectionsFresh result
10 engines flagged this URL
Every saved adverse engine is listed below. The full provider matrix remains available for audit.
- Malicious
- 9
- Suspicious
- 1
- Total
- 93
| Engine | Finding |
|---|---|
| ADMINUSLabsMalicious | malicious |
| AutoShunMalicious | malicious |
| BitDefenderMalicious | malware |
| CTX AIMalicious | malware |
| G-DataMalicious | malware |
| LionicMalicious | malware |
| SophosMalicious | malware |
| URLhausMalicious | malicious |
| VIPREMalicious | malware |
| GridinsoftSuspicious | suspicious |
All 93 engine results
- ADMINUSLabs - Malicious
- AutoShun - Malicious
- BitDefender - malware - Malicious
- CTX AI - malware - Malicious
- G-Data - malware - Malicious
- Lionic - malware - Malicious
- Sophos - malware - Malicious
- URLhaus - Malicious
- VIPRE - malware - Malicious
- Gridinsoft - Suspicious
- 0xSI_f33d - Unrated
- Abusix - Clean
- Acronis - Clean
- AILabs (MONITORAPP) - Clean
- AlienVault - Clean
- alphaMountain.ai - Clean
- AlphaSOC - Unrated
- Antiy-AVL - Clean
- ArcSight Threat Intelligence - Unrated
- Bfore.Ai PreCrime - Unrated
- Bkav - Unrated
- BlockList - Clean
- Blueliv - Clean
- Certego - Clean
- ChainPatrol - Unrated
- Chong Lua Dao - Clean
- CINS Army - Clean
- CRDF - Clean
- Criminal IP - Clean
- CSIS Security Group - Unrated
- Cyan - Unrated
- Cyble - Clean
- CyRadar - Clean
- desenmascara.me - Clean
- DNS8 - Unrated
- Dr.Web - Clean
- EmergingThreats - Clean
- Emsisoft - Clean
- Ermes - Unrated
- ESET - Clean
- ESTsecurity - Clean
- Forcepoint ThreatSeeker - Clean
- Fortinet - Clean
- Fortra - Unrated
- GCP Abuse Intelligence - Unrated
- Google Safe Browsing - Clean
- GreenSnow - Clean
- GreyNoise - Unrated
- Guardpot - Unrated
- Heimdal Security - Clean
- Hunt.io Intelligence - Unrated
- IPsum - Clean
- Juniper Networks - Clean
- K7AntiVirus - Unrated
- Kaspersky - Clean
- LevelBlue - Clean
- Lumu - Unrated
- Malwared - Clean
- MalwarePatrol - Clean
- MalwareURL - Unrated
- Mimecast - Unrated
- Netcraft - Unrated
- OpenPhish - Clean
- Orcapot - Unrated
- PhishFort - Unrated
- Phishing Database - Clean
- Phishtank - Clean
- PREBYTES - Clean
- PrecisionSec - Unrated
- Quick Heal - Clean
- Quttera - Clean
- Rising - Clean
- SafeToOpen - Unrated
- Sangfor - Clean
- Sansec eComscan - Unrated
- Scantitan - Clean
- SCUMWARE.org - Clean
- Seclookup - Clean
- Snort IP sample list - Unrated
- SOCRadar - Unrated
- StopForumSpam - Clean
- Sucuri SiteCheck - Clean
- Synthient - Unrated
- ThreatHive - Clean
- URLQuery - Unrated
- Viettel Threat Intelligence - Clean
- ViriBack - Clean
- VX Vault - Clean
- Webroot - Clean
- Xcitium Verdict Cloud - Clean
- Yandex Safebrowsing - Clean
- ZeroCERT - Clean
- ZeroFox - Unrated
How security vendors categorise this site
- Sophosspyware and malware
- alphaMountain.aiInformation/Computer Security
- BitDefendercomputersandsoftware
- Forcepoint ThreatSeekercomputer security
Each vendor’s own label for the site, saved with the antivirus result. Labels are separate from the engine verdicts above and can disagree with each other.
Security Scans
Checked against the browser threat feeds available to this scan — no hit.
What we observed
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Visual context from the captured page
X5O!P%@AP[4\\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
What the captured page showed
1 observation- 01
X5O!P%@AP[4\\PZX54(P^)7CC)7}$EICAR-STANDARD-ANTIVIRUS-TEST-FILE!$H+H*
03 · Investigation Story
Investigation story
What the site claims
Independent evidence classifies the site as content, but the page's own claim could not be captured.
What we observed
The page itself could not be fully inspected, so the report relies on the other saved checks.
What independent research found
1 external finding was saved and compared with the page evidence.
What remains unverified
1 of the 4 applicable core capabilities did not complete, so those gaps remain visible in the coverage ledger.
What kind of site and risk is this?
Threat category
No threat category confirmed
Service and business model
Content
Observed behavior
Evidence behind this classification
- 01Independent documentation identifies the EICAR file as harmless and designed to test antivirus functionality.
- 02The retrieved content displays the standard EICAR antivirus test-file string.
- 03Multiple antivirus engines detected the file, as expected for this deliberately detectable test artifact.
Web research findings
Independent findings for secure.eicar.org, including public complaints, named review sources, registration records, and look-alike-domain evidence. A missing result is shown as unverified, never converted into a clean bill of health.
- ESET Online Helpopen
"This test file is a harmless file detectable by all antivirus programs. The file was created by the EICAR company (European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research) to test the functionality of antivirus programs."
Reputation Sources
How this domain rates across independent threat-intelligence and blocklist providers.
04 · Domain & Infrastructure
Domain & infrastructure
The plumbing behind the site — who registered it, how it’s encrypted, where it’s hosted, and where it links out. A valid certificate or a calm server doesn’t mean the business is honest — scam sites pass these checks too. Use this to corroborate the verdict, not to overturn it.
Infrastructure map
How the saved page connected to the wider web.
- Domainsecure.eicar.org
- Redirects tosecure.eicar.org
- Hosted bymanitu GmbH
Domain Timeline
- Mar 25, 1998Domain registered
First appeared in WHOIS records — 28 years old when this review was saved.
- Oct 13, 2026Saved security review — Rated Safe
This saved scan found no active threat signals in the checks it completed.
secure.eicar.org has operated for years with no threat signals in this review — a long, stable track record, though it is never a guarantee on its own.
Domain & Encryption
Certificate issued for secure.eicar.org.
A shared content-delivery network address answers for many sites, so it is not the site's own server and says nothing about who runs it.
Server Reputation
05 · Evidence Ledger
Evidence ledger
- Antiviruscomplete
- Browser threat feedcomplete
- Page contentpartial
- Analysiscomplete
- Visual evidencecomplete
The conclusion is supported by the evidence saved with this report.
Technical threat
maliciousMalware, phishing, credential theft and hostile infrastructure.
7 independent antivirus families reported an adverse result.
Operator / customer risk
unknownComplaints, withdrawals, business conduct and commercial traps.
No confirmed evidence in this dimension.
Source coverage and freshness
Status shows whether usable evidence was saved; finding shows what that evidence observed.
| Source | Result | Completion | Finding | Freshness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antivirus | 10 of 93 engines flagged | Completed | Adverse | fresh · analysed Oct 13, 2026 |
| Browser protection | No browser threat-list match | Completed | No adverse finding | this scan · Oct 13, 2026 |
| Page content | Page content was not available for semantic review | Limited | No saved finding | this scan · Oct 13, 2026 |
| Visual evidence | 1 visible observation saved with the page capture | Completed | No adverse finding | this scan · Oct 13, 2026 |
| Independent research | 1 independent finding was saved | Completed | No adverse finding | this scan · Oct 13, 2026 |
- Antivirus
- Result10 of 93 engines flagged
- CompletionCompletedFindingAdverse
- Freshnessfresh · analysed Oct 13, 2026
- Browser protection
- ResultNo browser threat-list match
- CompletionCompletedFindingNo adverse finding
- Freshnessthis scan · Oct 13, 2026
- Page content
- ResultPage content was not available for semantic review
- CompletionLimitedFindingNo saved finding
- Freshnessthis scan · Oct 13, 2026
- Visual evidence
- Result1 visible observation saved with the page capture
- CompletionCompletedFindingNo adverse finding
- Freshnessthis scan · Oct 13, 2026
- Independent research
- Result1 independent finding was saved
- CompletionCompletedFindingNo adverse finding
- Freshnessthis scan · Oct 13, 2026
07 · Safety FAQ
Safety FAQ
Common questions, answered directly from the scan data above — so the answers reflect the saved verdict and evidence in this report.
Is secure.eicar.org legit and safe?
Is secure.eicar.org safe to use?
Could a legitimate site like secure.eicar.org still be used in a scam?
Has secure.eicar.org been flagged by antivirus engines?
Is secure.eicar.org on any phishing or malware blacklists?
How old is the secure.eicar.org domain?
Does secure.eicar.org have a valid SSL certificate?
Where is secure.eicar.org hosted?
How often is the secure.eicar.org report updated?
08 · Final Verdict
Final verdict
Legitimate antivirus test file, not active malware
This URL serves the standardized EICAR antivirus test string. Independent research identifies it as a harmless file created to test antivirus functionality, so its security detections are expected rather than evidence of an active malicious payload.
09 · Community
Community
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