What is taskholder.exe?

taskholder.exe is part of Sandboxie and developed by Sandboxie Holdings, LLC according to the taskholder.exe version information.

taskholder.exe's description is "Sandboxie Start"

taskholder.exe is usually located in the 'c:\downloads\' folder.

Some of the anti-virus scanners at VirusTotal detected taskholder.exe.

If you have additional information about the file, please share it with the FreeFixer users by posting a comment at the bottom of this page.

Vendor and version information [?]

The following is the available information on taskholder.exe:

Property	Value
Product name	Sandboxie
Company name	Sandboxie Holdings, LLC
File description	Sandboxie Start
Internal name	admin crypt.exe
Original filename	admin crypt.exe
Legal copyright	Copyright \xA9 2004-2018 by Sandboxie Holdings, LLC
Product version	5.29
File version	5.29

Here's a screenshot of the file properties when displayed by Windows Explorer:

Product name	Sandboxie
Company name	Sandboxie Holdings, LLC
File description	Sandboxie Start
Internal name	admin crypt.exe
Original filename	admin crypt.exe
Legal copyright	Copyright \xA9 2004-2018 by Sandboxi..
Product version	5.29
File version	5.29

Digital signatures [?]

taskholder.exe is not signed.

VirusTotal report

40 of the 66 anti-virus programs at VirusTotal detected the taskholder.exe file. That's a 61% detection rate.

Scanner	Detection Name
Acronis	suspicious
Ad-Aware	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142
AegisLab	Trojan.MSIL.NetWire.4!c
Alibaba	Trojan:MSIL/Kryptik.263b6319
ALYac	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142
Arcabit	Trojan.Generic.D1E66046
Avast	Win32:Malware-gen
AVG	Win32:Malware-gen
Avira	TR/Kryptik.zbyef
BitDefender	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142
CrowdStrike	win/malicious_confidence_100% (W)
Cyren	W32/Trojan.JOCK-4858
DrWeb	BackDoor.Siggen2.2488
Emsisoft	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142 (B)
Endgame	malicious (high confidence)
ESET-NOD32	a variant of MSIL/Kryptik.RHZ
F-Secure	Trojan.TR/Kryptik.zbyef
FireEye	Generic.mg.98aeab7b8df1466d
Fortinet	MSIL/Kryptik.RHZ!tr
GData	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142
Ikarus	Trojan.MSIL.Crypt
Invincea	heuristic
K7AntiVirus	Trojan ( 0054b7d21 )
K7GW	Trojan ( 0054b7d21 )
Kaspersky	HEUR:Trojan.MSIL.NetWire.gen
McAfee	RDN/Generic.dx
McAfee-GW-Edition	Artemis!Trojan
Microsoft	PWS:Win32/Primarypass.A
MicroWorld-eScan	Trojan.GenericKD.31875142
NANO-Antivirus	Trojan.Win32.NetWire.foybtv
Paloalto	generic.ml
Panda	Trj/GdSda.A
Qihoo-360	Win32/Trojan.b1d
SentinelOne	DFI - Suspicious PE
Sophos	Mal/Generic-S
Tencent	Win32.Backdoor.Fareit.Auto
Trapmine	malicious.moderate.ml.score
TrendMicro-HouseCall	TROJ_GEN.R002H0DD919
VBA32	TScope.Trojan.MSIL
ZoneAlarm	HEUR:Trojan.MSIL.NetWire.gen

40 of the 66 anti-virus programs detected the taskholder.exe file.

Sandbox Report

The following information was gathered by executing the file inside Cuckoo Sandbox.

Summary

Successfully executed process in sandbox.

Summary

{
    "dll_loaded": [
        "ADVAPI32.dll",
        "SHLWAPI.dll",
        "C:\\Windows\\system32\\IMM32.DLL",
        "gdi32.dll"
    ],
    "file_failed": [
        "C:\\Users\\cuck\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin.config"
    ],
    "regkey_opened": [
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
        "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards\\v4.0.30319",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework",
        "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework",
        "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\AppPatch",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\v2.0",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards"
    ],
    "file_exists": [
        "C:\\Windows\\System32\\MSCOREE.DLL.local"
    ],
    "file_opened": [
        "C:\\Users\\cuck\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin"
    ],
    "regkey_read": [
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\NoGuiFromShim",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\GRE_Initialize\\DisableMetaFiles",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\InstallRoot",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Windows\\LoadAppInit_DLLs",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\CLRLoadLogDir",
        "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\OnlyUseLatestCLR"
    ],
    "directory_enumerated": [
        "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\mscoreei.dll",
        "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\Upgrades.2.0.50727\\mscoreei.dll",
        "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v4.0.30319\\mscorwks.dll"
    ]
}

Generic

[
    {
        "process_path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\lsass.exe",
        "process_name": "lsass.exe",
        "pid": 476,
        "summary": {},
        "first_seen": 1582458787.34375,
        "ppid": 376
    },
    {
        "process_path": "C:\\Users\\cuck\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin",
        "process_name": "938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin",
        "pid": 2132,
        "summary": {
            "dll_loaded": [
                "ADVAPI32.dll",
                "SHLWAPI.dll",
                "C:\\Windows\\system32\\IMM32.DLL",
                "gdi32.dll"
            ],
            "file_failed": [
                "C:\\Users\\cuck\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin.config"
            ],
            "regkey_opened": [
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
                "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards\\v4.0.30319",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework",
                "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework",
                "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Upgrades",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\AppPatch",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\v2.0",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\Policy\\Standards"
            ],
            "file_exists": [
                "C:\\Windows\\System32\\MSCOREE.DLL.local"
            ],
            "file_opened": [
                "C:\\Users\\cuck\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992.bin"
            ],
            "regkey_read": [
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\NoGuiFromShim",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\GRE_Initialize\\DisableMetaFiles",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\InstallRoot",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Windows\\LoadAppInit_DLLs",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\CLRLoadLogDir",
                "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Wow6432Node\\Microsoft\\.NETFramework\\OnlyUseLatestCLR"
            ],
            "directory_enumerated": [
                "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\mscoreei.dll",
                "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\Upgrades.2.0.50727\\mscoreei.dll",
                "C:\\Windows\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v4.0.30319\\mscorwks.dll"
            ]
        },
        "first_seen": 1582458789.875,
        "ppid": 2740
    }
]

Signatures

[
    {
        "markcount": 2,
        "families": [],
        "description": "The binary likely contains encrypted or compressed data indicative of a packer",
        "severity": 2,
        "marks": [
            {
                "entropy": 7.654989767993036,
                "section": {
                    "size_of_data": "0x00066000",
                    "virtual_address": "0x00002000",
                    "entropy": 7.654989767993036,
                    "name": ".text",
                    "virtual_size": "0x00065f54"
                },
                "type": "generic",
                "description": "A section with a high entropy has been found"
            },
            {
                "entropy": 0.9951219512195122,
                "type": "generic",
                "description": "Overall entropy of this PE file is high"
            }
        ],
        "references": [
            "http:\/\/www.forensickb.com\/2013\/03\/file-entropy-explained.html",
            "http:\/\/virii.es\/U\/Using%20Entropy%20Analysis%20to%20Find%20Encrypted%20and%20Packed%20Malware.pdf"
        ],
        "name": "packer_entropy"
    }
]

Yara

The Yara rules did not detect anything in the file.

Network

{
    "tls": [],
    "udp": [
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "192.168.56.255",
            "offset": 662,
            "time": 6.2096991539001465,
            "dport": 137,
            "sport": 137
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "224.0.0.252",
            "offset": 4434,
            "time": 6.157340049743652,
            "dport": 5355,
            "sport": 51001
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "224.0.0.252",
            "offset": 4762,
            "time": 4.152738094329834,
            "dport": 5355,
            "sport": 53595
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "224.0.0.252",
            "offset": 5090,
            "time": 6.175390005111694,
            "dport": 5355,
            "sport": 53848
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "224.0.0.252",
            "offset": 5418,
            "time": 4.665152072906494,
            "dport": 5355,
            "sport": 54255
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "224.0.0.252",
            "offset": 5746,
            "time": 3.0459680557250977,
            "dport": 5355,
            "sport": 55314
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "239.255.255.250",
            "offset": 6074,
            "time": 4.230454206466675,
            "dport": 1900,
            "sport": 1900
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "239.255.255.250",
            "offset": 16916,
            "time": 4.1891491413116455,
            "dport": 3702,
            "sport": 49152
        },
        {
            "src": "192.168.56.101",
            "dst": "239.255.255.250",
            "offset": 21108,
            "time": 6.240293979644775,
            "dport": 1900,
            "sport": 53598
        }
    ],
    "dns_servers": [],
    "http": [],
    "icmp": [],
    "smtp": [],
    "tcp": [],
    "smtp_ex": [],
    "mitm": [],
    "hosts": [],
    "pcap_sha256": "e834a7dcd7534d6cc2c143a2a3e3be5eed55e91460916414da49306664ccd804",
    "dns": [],
    "http_ex": [],
    "domains": [],
    "dead_hosts": [],
    "sorted_pcap_sha256": "5dcc5a3a3d82a1f3ff29acdb3d3258f546863c7ae19321121c2acf9dde0175d9",
    "irc": [],
    "https_ex": []
}

Screenshots

taskholder.exe removal instructions

The instructions below shows how to remove taskholder.exe with help from the FreeFixer removal tool. Basically, you install FreeFixer, scan your computer, check the taskholder.exe file for removal, restart your computer and scan it again to verify that taskholder.exe has been successfully removed. Here are the removal instructions in more detail:

Download and install FreeFixer: http://www.freefixer.com/download.html
Start FreeFixer and press the Start Scan button. The scan will finish in approximately five minutes.
When the scan is finished, locate taskholder.exe in the scan result and tick the checkbox next to the taskholder.exe file. Do not check any other file for removal unless you are 100% sure you want to delete it. Tip: Press CTRL-F to open up FreeFixer's search dialog to quickly locate taskholder.exe in the scan result.

c:\downloads\taskholder.exe
Scroll down to the bottom of the scan result and press the Fix button. FreeFixer will now delete the taskholder.exe file.
Restart your computer.
Start FreeFixer and scan your computer again. If taskholder.exe still remains in the scan result, proceed with the next step. If taskholder.exe is gone from the scan result you're done.
If taskholder.exe still remains in the scan result, check its checkbox again in the scan result and click Fix.
Restart your computer.
Start FreeFixer and scan your computer again. Verify that taskholder.exe no longer appear in the scan result.

Free Questionnaires

Hashes [?]

Property	Value
MD5	98aeab7b8df1466dcc22c4bad7b8f18e
SHA256	938109a122deb23c8c202b93a9d8708a08e43e47fe264d56a7b4ee743850c992

Error Messages

These are some of the error messages that can appear related to taskholder.exe:

taskholder.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

taskholder.exe - Application Error. The instruction at "0xXXXXXXXX" referenced memory at "0xXXXXXXXX". The memory could not be "read/written". Click on OK to terminate the program.

Sandboxie Start has stopped working.

End Program - taskholder.exe. This program is not responding.

taskholder.exe is not a valid Win32 application.

taskholder.exe - Application Error. The application failed to initialize properly (0xXXXXXXXX). Click OK to terminate the application.

What will you do with taskholder.exe?

To help other users, please let us know what you will do with taskholder.exe:

Comments

Please share with the other users what you think about this file. What does this file do? Is it legitimate or something that your computer is better without? Do you know how it was installed on your system? Did you install it yourself or did it come bundled with some other software? Is it running smoothly or do you get some error message? Any information that will help to document this file is welcome. Thank you for your contributions.

I'm reading all new comments so don't hesitate to post a question about the file. If I don't have the answer perhaps another user can help you.

No comments posted yet.

What is taskholder.exe?

Vendor and version information [?]

Digital signatures [?]

VirusTotal report

Sandbox Report

Summary

Summary

Generic

Signatures

Yara

Network

Screenshots

taskholder.exe removal instructions

Hashes [?]

Error Messages

What will you do with taskholder.exe?

Comments

Leave a reply