GridinSoft Threat Intelligence

SearchProtocolHost.exe threat report

Detected as General Threat File reputation report
MD5 66527a8f587f3084b19d67c2f0a9e977
Latest seen 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)
First seen 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)
Size 406 KB
Publisher Microsoft Corporation
Product Windows® Search

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
2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)
File hash
66527a8f587f3084b19d67c2f0a9e977
Download Anti-Malware

Why it matters

Why GridinSoft flags this file

Detection

GridinSoft identifies the sample as General Threat.

Timeline

First seen 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago); latest analysis 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago).

Publisher context

Company metadata: Microsoft Corporation. Product metadata: Windows® Search.

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

SearchProtocolHost.exe is a Windows file recorded in the ThreatInfo database. It is associated with Windows® Search. The reported company name is Microsoft Corporation. The current detection status is General Threat, based on the latest analysis from 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago).

If SearchProtocolHost.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: Windows® Search
Company Name: Microsoft Corporation
MD5: 66527a8f587f3084b19d67c2f0a9e977
Size: 406 KB
First Published: 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)
Latest Published: 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)
Status: General Threat (on last analysis)
Analysis Date: 2023-01-03 23:07:16 (3 years ago)

Detection screenshot

SearchProtocolHost.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:

%windir%\winsxs

ThreatInfo has observed SearchProtocolHost.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 SearchProtocolHost.exe across 1 countries. Use this signal to compare local evidence with where the sample is most often reported.

Top country Mexico
Share 100.0%
Low High activity

The strongest geographic signal for this file is Mexico with 100.0% of observed hits. Geographic distribution can help identify targeted campaigns, regional software bundles, or where a file is most commonly reported.

OS Version:

Windows 10 100.0%

The most common operating system signal for SearchProtocolHost.exe is Windows 10 with 100.0% 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

SearchProtocolHost.exe is identified as pe for 64-bit systems. The subsystem is Windows CUI. PE header values are useful for triage, especially when they do not match the expected publisher, product, or release timeline.

Format pe
Architecture 64-bit
Subsystem Windows CUI
Entry point 0x00018970
Image base 0x0000000140000000

PE Sections:

Sections 7
Raw data 414720

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

.text 205312 bytes · 49.5% of section data
MD5 366befc1fb50c6470fca27b6ef4ede63
.rdata 100352 bytes · 24.2% of section data
MD5 0a28869cdcbe9c12673e0514d92f8b25
.data 2560 bytes · 0.6% of section data
MD5 4255ee4c480e6c0c1cfc757ed4aa076e
.pdata 15360 bytes · 3.7% of section data
MD5 6818b012feed86e7d6e42c5970c9cd52
.didat 512 bytes · 0.1% of section data
Uncommon name
MD5 37e22a509af9af2a29e520e05242dce7
.rsrc 87040 bytes · 21.0% of section data
MD5 a5b4ab57dbcfb506473b38c1b18c539e
.reloc 3584 bytes · 0.9% of section data
MD5 7932dec3a85a44a62352e5cdd4f87c40

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 SearchProtocolHost.exe by MD5 66527a8f587f3084b19d67c2f0a9e977. 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 66527a8f587f3084b19d67c2f0a9e977.
  • 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.