MPSigstub.exe is decoded as Microsoft Malware Protection Signature Stub, and is part of Microsoft Security Essentials software. Usually the user faces this file if you need to manually update the databases of this antivirus. Next, consider what this process is.
Basic data
The process appears in the task dispatcher list only during the installation of Security Essentials and the update. Therefore, it is difficult to track.
File location
Click on the "Start" button in the taskbar and in the "Find Programs and Files" field enter "mpsigstub.exe". As a result of the search, a string appears with the inscription "MPSIGSTUB". I click on it right mouse button and click in the "Location" menu that appears.
A directory contains the desired object.
The full path to the process file is as follows.
C: \ Windows \ System32 \ mpsigstub.exe
The file can also be located as part of the MPAM-FEX64 archive, designed to update Security Essentials.
Purpose
MPSigstub.exe is an application that runs the process of updating the known antivirus from Microsoft. To view the information about the file in the "System32" folder, click on it with the right mouse button and click on the "Properties".
The properties window opens the MPSIGSTUB.EXE properties.
In the Digital Signatures tab, you can see that mpsigstub.exe has a digital signature from Microsoft Corporation, confirming its authenticity.
Start and completion of the process
The specified process starts when updating Security Essentials and automatically ends at the end.Read more: Microsoft Security Essentials manual database update
Substitution of viral in
Quite often, viral programs are masked under the specified process.
- So the file is malicious if:
- Displayed in the Task Manager for a long time;
- Does not have a digital signature;
- The location is different from those discussed above.
To eliminate the threat, you can use the well-known Dr.Web Creatit utility.
As the review showed, mostly the presence of MPSIGSTUB.exe in the system is explained by the presence of the installed Anti-Virus of Microsoft Security Essentials. At the same time, the process can be replaced by viral software that is easily detected and eliminated when scanning with the corresponding utilities.