Decoding VirusTotal Results: What You Should Know Beyond False Positives
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, understanding the results generated by VirusTotal (VT) is crucial for accurately assessing the safety of files. Many users, myself included, have often dismissed alerts with a casual “it’s probably a false positive.” However, this mindset can lead to overlooking potentially harmful threats. Here’s a breakdown of what VirusTotal results truly mean and how you can interpret them effectively.
A Recommended Resource
To get started, I highly recommend checking out this informative video by MalwareAnalysisForHedgehogs. It provides a comprehensive overview of VirusTotal, detailing what various results signify. You can watch it here.
Key Aspects of Detection
- Reanalysis Is Key: Always consider reanalyzing your file, especially if it hasn’t been scanned recently. Detections can evolve as antivirus engines improve their algorithms.
- Assess malware Naming: Be wary of the malware classifications listed. For instance, the label “not-a-virus” indicates that while the file may be capable of being misused, it isn’t inherently malicious. However, this classification might not be consistently applied across all vendors.
Digging Deeper into Details
- Verify File Authenticity: Ensure the file type matches its stated format. Mismatches can be a red flag.
- Submission History Matters: Check the earliest submission date. If it predates the release of the Software, the file may be repurposed malware.
- Names and Aliases: Take note of any alternate names associated with the file. If these references seem unrelated, it could indicate that the malware has been renamed, which is a common tactic among malicious actors.
Behavioral Analysis
- File Activity: Observe the files dropped or deleted by the program. Are they accessing or modifying system areas they shouldn’t?
- Registry Interactions: A legitimate Software update should not disable critical security features like Windows Defender or modify system commands.
- Suspicious Function Calls: Pay attention to certain API calls, such as
GetTickCount, which may indicate that malware is trying to avoid detection by recognizing virtual machines. For a deeper understanding, check out this informative article.
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