GridinSoft Threat Intelligence

HostFileEditor.exe threat report

Detected as General Threat File reputation report
MD5 4e535d6cf6494a98c5f190ea15d75236
Latest seen 2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago)
First seen 2019-03-29 01:50:40 (7 years ago)
Size 3 MB
Publisher Lavasoft AB
Product Lavasoft Hosts File Edit

GridinSoft Anti-Malware detection

Detected by GridinSoft before you download

The current ThreatInfo record shows this exact file hash detected as General Threat. Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware to scan the device, confirm whether this file is present, and remove the detected object if it is found.

Detection name
General Threat
Recommended action
Scan and remove
Last analysis
2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago)
File hash
4e535d6cf6494a98c5f190ea15d75236
Download Anti-Malware

Why it matters

Why GridinSoft flags this file

Detection

GridinSoft identifies the sample as General Threat.

Timeline

First seen 2019-03-29 01:50:40 (7 years ago); latest analysis 2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago).

Publisher context

Company metadata: Lavasoft AB. Product metadata: Lavasoft Hosts File Edit.

Observed locations

ThreatInfo has seen this file in user or system paths listed below. Unexpected locations increase the need for local verification.

Recommended action

What to do next

  1. Compare the MD5 above with the file found on the device.
  2. Check whether the file appears in the observed locations or under one of the alternate names.
  3. Run GridinSoft Anti-Malware to confirm the detection and remove the file if it is present.

File context

HostFileEditor.exe is a Windows file recorded in the ThreatInfo database. It is associated with Lavasoft Hosts File Edit. The reported company name is Lavasoft AB. The current detection status is General Threat, based on the latest analysis from 2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago).

If HostFileEditor.exe appears on your computer unexpectedly, treat it as suspicious. Check its location, digital signature, and recent system changes before allowing it to run. A full anti-malware scan is recommended when this file is detected as General Threat.

File Details

Product Name: Lavasoft Hosts File Edit
Company Name: Lavasoft AB
MD5: 4e535d6cf6494a98c5f190ea15d75236
Size: 3 MB
First Published: 2019-03-29 01:50:40 (7 years ago)
Latest Published: 2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago)
Status: General Threat (on last analysis)
Analysis Date: 2022-10-30 23:23:52 (3 years ago)

Detection screenshot

HostFileEditor.exe detection screenshot

The screenshot is a visual record of a GridinSoft Anti-Malware detection for this sample. Use the hash and metadata above as the primary identifiers when comparing the file on your system.

Common Places:

%sysdrive%\backup\photon\copied_from_gabor\store\lavasoft-ad-aware2007
%temp%\rar$exa0.168\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 professional edition
%temp%\rar$exa0.165\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 professional edition
%temp%\rar$exa0.273\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 professional edition
%temp%\rar$exa0.820\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 professional edition
%sysdrive%\torrents\[ oxtorrent.com ] lavasoft ad-aware 2008 + spyware doctor 2008 (keys + cracks incl.)\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 + spyware doctor 2008 (keys + cracks incl.)\lavasoft ad-aware 2008 professional edition
%mydoc%\ad-aware.2007.professional[resubido]por_hamlet[www.divxtotal.com]\ad-aware.2007.professional[resubido]por_hamlet[www.divxtotal.com]

ThreatInfo has observed HostFileEditor.exe in the locations listed above. Files found in temporary folders, user profile folders, startup locations, or unusual application directories should be reviewed more carefully than files installed under a known program directory.

Geographic signal

Observed country distribution

ThreatInfo has seen HostFileEditor.exe across 4 countries. Use this signal to compare local evidence with where the sample is most often reported.

Top country Switzerland
Share 57.1%
Low High activity

The strongest geographic signal for this file is Switzerland with 57.1% of observed hits. Geographic distribution can help identify targeted campaigns, regional software bundles, or where a file is most commonly reported.

OS Version:

Windows 7 57.1%
Windows 10 42.9%

The most common operating system signal for HostFileEditor.exe is Windows 7 with 57.1% of observed hits. If your system differs from the common profile, check whether the file was introduced by a specific installer, archive, or removable device.

Analysis

HostFileEditor.exe is identified as pe for 32-bit systems. The subsystem is Windows GUI. PE header values are useful for triage, especially when they do not match the expected publisher, product, or release timeline.

Format pe
Architecture 32-bit
Subsystem Windows GUI
Entry point 0x00152514
Image base 0x00400000

PE Sections:

Sections 15
Raw data 3624960

Section layout highlights raw-size concentration, repeated names, packer markers, and hashes that can be compared across related samples.

.text 1376256 bytes · 38.0% of section data
MD5 8ab5a116097896f79475e86dacb8a480
.itext 8192 bytes · 0.2% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 3b683ace88e27d4f356cd03b5157ef94
.data 40960 bytes · 1.1% of section data
MD5 aa5cdc96f0aea8079122d66c9bb91630
.bss 36864 bytes · 1.0% of section data
MD5 18747fcb2508eeec79415b32f63f3654
.idata 16384 bytes · 0.5% of section data
MD5 d223244181e88fcff235b0e5aa57946f
.tls 4096 bytes · 0.1% of section data
MD5 620f0b67a91f7f74151bc5be745b7110
.rdata 4096 bytes · 0.1% of section data
MD5 30253c727ca40c68af6e75621f4e2e7a
.reloc 73728 bytes · 2.0% of section data
MD5 9e475a7300000fad806ece966b1fec89
.text1 327680 bytes · 9.0% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 f68389bd2e6c109ea6e89e45ccb7a0ad
.adata 65536 bytes · 1.8% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 fcd6bcb56c1689fcef28b57c22475bad
.data1 65536 bytes · 1.8% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 a19c1efeff83a313bb7535b5c5c5da62
.reloc1 65536 bytes · 1.8% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 63ffbb444884c36f68510b353d7a8fd0
.pdata 1048576 bytes · 28.9% of section data
MD5 386bf8a307bb2e9b854ecd7898116daa
.rsrc 483328 bytes · 13.3% of section data
MD5 93a2314a5b8be1003f94b693b502fdd2
.idata 8192 bytes · 0.2% of section data
MD5 b99fcd132e5d0a557612efce18233534

PE section names and hashes can reveal packing, injected resources, or unusual build artifacts. Sections with uncommon names, very large raw data, or hashes that differ from a trusted copy deserve additional review.

Report conclusion

GridinSoft detects this file as General Threat

This report identifies HostFileEditor.exe by MD5 4e535d6cf6494a98c5f190ea15d75236. If the same file is present on your device, scan the system and remove the detected object after confirming the hash and location.

Download GridinSoft Anti-Malware Scan the device and confirm whether this exact hash is present. Check this hash on VirusTotal

Recommended next steps

  • Compare the local file MD5 with 4e535d6cf6494a98c5f190ea15d75236.
  • Check the file path, publisher, and signature against the details in this report.
  • Run a GridinSoft scan and remove the object if the same hash is found.