How do I submit a malware sample?

If our detection engine missed something malicious (false negative) or flagged something clean (false positive), send us the sample so we can improve coverage.

Email the file as a password-protected zip to samples@uvasoftware.com. Include the password in the body of the message. If you don't specify one, we'll try "infected", which is the de facto standard for malware sample sharing.

To help us triage faster, include:

• The Scanii processing ID, if you have one
• Whether this is a false negative or false positive
• A brief note on where the file came from

Creating a password-protected zip on macOS or Linux

Open Terminal, navigate to the folder containing the sample, and run:

zip -e sample.zip suspicious-file.exe

You'll be prompted for a password twice. Use "infected" to match our default.

Creating a password-protected zip on Windows

Windows Explorer's built-in zip feature does not support passwords. Install 7-Zip (free), then either:

Right-click the file, choose 7-Zip > Add to archive, set "Encryption" password to "infected", and click OK.

Or from a command prompt:

"C:\Program Files\7-Zip\7z.exe" a -pinfected sample.zip suspicious-file.exe

A note on sharing

Samples submitted to this address may be shared with third-party security researchers and signature providers.