Acs.exe file description |
Acs.exe with description ACS is a process file from company Atheros belonging to product Atheros Configuration Service (ACS).
In total there are 4 launchpoints for this file including "Running processes".
There are 15 different variations of the file in our database and the file is
digitally signed from Agnitum Ltd. - VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer - G2
We do not recommend removing digitally signed files from Agnitum Ltd.
What is acs.exe?
This is the Atheros Configuration Service. Its purpose is to facilitate the operation and configuration of Atheros wireless devices. It is included with many computers with Atheros wireless, as well as in the drivers of any wireless cards that use the Atheros chipset, including some D-Link, Netgear, and Linksys cards.
This process is not essential to the operation of the system; however, it should not be disabled under most circumstances. By killing this process, you may lose your wireless networking functionality. If you do not use wi-fi, you can safely terminate, disable, or uninstall this service.
Dangers of acs
As this is a legitimate system process that comes with Atheros wireless devices as well as many pre-built computers, it is common for virus writers and spyware vendors to disguise their malware as the genuine one.
Some malicious files may have the same name as this process but be stored somewhere other than in %SystemRoot%\System32. Other malware may use a name that appears similar to that of the legitimate one but with slight differences in spelling or with appended digits. The following malware is known to disguise itself as hidserv.exe:
- W32.Kelvir.W (%ProgramFiles%\ACS-Style\acs.exe)
- This is a worm that is known to spread via MSN Messenger. This includes functionality for a remote attacker to take control of infected system via IRC channels, giving the attacker the ability to steal confidential information from your system or use your system in a distributed denial of service attack.
There not should typically be more than one instance of this process running at a given time on a system. The presence of multiple instances may be an indicator of a malware infection. If you do not have an Atheros wireless card, the presence of this process is a strong indicator of a malware infection.
Common problems
- This process uses 100% of the CPU
- This is known to occur on occasion; however, there is no known cause. Try reinstalling the drivers for your wireless card.
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Automatic startup locations |
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001 Running Processes |
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002 Autorun registry entries local machine |
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003 Autorun registry entries Current User |
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010 Installed services |
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File versions in our database |
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Company |
Version |
Size |
 |
Agnitum Ltd. |
6.7.1.2983.10523 |
4294967295 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.2.3377.11522 |
3427032 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.2.3377.11522 |
3427024 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3371.11325 |
3427024 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3373.11401 |
3427024 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3330.11209 |
3352872 |
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??????????? |
5, 2, 1, 0 |
2442592 |
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??????????? |
4.20.4.0 |
2401632 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
6.7.2.3001.10913 |
2398560 |
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Quick Heal Technologies (P) Ltd. |
3.0.2998.10908 |
2382592 |
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VirusBuster Ltd. |
3.1.2986.10614 |
2372784 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
6.5.3.2518.9902 |
2258248 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3.3395.11627 |
2035520 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3.3392.11624 |
2035512 |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
7.0.3.3395.11627 |
2035512 |
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Digital signatures found for this file |
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Signer of certificate |
Issuer of certificate |
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Agnitum Ltd. |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer - G2 |
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Defenx SA |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer - G2 |
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NEC AccessTechnica, Ltd. |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer - G2 |
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NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE EAST CORPORATION |
VeriSign Time Stamping Services Signer - G2 |
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MD5 security rating in our database |
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158 |
files (Not yet rated
and
not
signed) |
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7 |
files (Not yet rated
and
digitally
signed) |
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79 |
files (Safe
and
digitally
signed) |
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Some versions of this filename have not yet been checked for safety.
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| Warning: Some malware might rename itself to acs.exe. Always make sure that your file is from a verified publisher. |
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Application errors |
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| User comments for Acs.exe |
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