PhantomKiller.sys - Vulnerable (78/100) - DriverShield Analysis

Analysis of PhantomKiller.sys: vulnerable verdict, risk score 78/100. 2 YARA matches, 0/75 multi-engine detections. SHA256 5ab36c116767eaae. Kernel imports, IOCTL codes, MITRE ATT&CK, and code-signing details.

PhantomKiller.sys - Analysis Report

DriverShield analyzed the Windows kernel driver PhantomKiller.sys and assigned a verdict of Vulnerable with a composite risk score of 78/100, indicating a known or likely vulnerability surface (60-79 band).

VerdictVulnerable (78/100)
YARA matches2
Multi-engine detections0 / 75
File size30320 bytes
Code-signing signerSymantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2
Analyzed2026-05-23
SHA2565ab36c116767eaae53a466fbc2dae7cfd608ed77721f65e83312037fbd57c946
SHA187903559afa09a0dfe251598c14e58124bddde1d
MD582699276b0f59a2304120a6baaf64a6b

Driver identity

Version resource data embedded in the PhantomKiller.sys PE header, as extracted by the analysis engine.

File descriptionBootRepair
ProductBootRepair
CompanyLENOVO
Original filenameBootRepair.sys
Internal nameBootRepair.sys
File version2.5.30.11281
CopyrightLENOVO Corporation. All rights reserved.

How the 78/100 score breaks down

Each component is scored 0-100 and then weighted into the composite. See the analysis methodology for the exact formula.

ComponentSub-score
Multi-engine consensus0 / 100
YARA signature matches100 / 100
Dangerous kernel imports100 / 100
IOCTL dispatch surface24 / 100
Known-vulnerable corpus100 / 100
Code-signing state80 / 100
Packing and entropy0 / 100
Dynamic behaviour0 / 100
CVE cross-reference0 / 100

Kernel imports (17)

Kernel-mode APIs resolved from the Import Address Table of PhantomKiller.sys, ranked by exploitation relevance.

APIRiskWhy it matters
ZwTerminateProcesscriticalHighly dangerous - potential for arbitrary code execution, memory corruption, or process termination
PsLookupProcessByProcessIdhighPotentially dangerous - could be used for privilege escalation or security bypass
KeBugCheckExmediumModerate risk - system modification capability
ObOpenObjectByPointermediumModerate risk - system modification capability
ZwSetValueKeymediumModerate risk - system modification capability
ZwCreateKeymediumModerate risk - system modification capability
KeDelayExecutionThreadlowStandard kernel API - generally benign
ZwQueryValueKeylowStandard kernel API - generally benign
IoDeleteDevicelowStandard kernel API - generally benign
IofCompleteRequestlowStandard kernel API - generally benign
IoCreateDevicelowStandard kernel API - generally benign
ZwCloselowStandard kernel API - generally benign
IoCreateSymbolicLinklowStandard kernel API - generally benign
RtlInitUnicodeStringlowStandard kernel API - generally benign
ZwOpenKeylowStandard kernel API - generally benign
IoDeleteSymbolicLinklowStandard kernel API - generally benign
ExAllocatePoollowStandard kernel API - generally benign

IOCTL dispatch codes (8)

Control codes reachable through the driver dispatch routine. Codes tied to published exploit code are flagged, since they are the primary Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) entry points.

CodeSeverityTransferDescription
0x002200F0mediumMETHOD_BUFFEREDFILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN Function #60
0x00222014mediumMETHOD_BUFFEREDFILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN Function #2053
0x0080249CmediumMETHOD_BUFFEREDFILE_DEVICE_CUSTOM Function #2343
0x00802484mediumMETHOD_BUFFEREDFILE_DEVICE_CUSTOM Function #2337
0x00340036mediumMETHOD_OUT_DIRECTFILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #13
0x0034002DmediumMETHOD_IN_DIRECTFILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #11
0x00220065mediumMETHOD_IN_DIRECTFILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN Function #25
0x00340300mediumMETHOD_BUFFEREDFILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #192

PE sections

Section layout and Shannon entropy. High entropy in a code section is a packing or encryption indicator.

SectionVirtual sizeRaw sizeEntropyFlags
.text0x1B0D0x1C005.86CODE, EXEC, READ
.rdata0x05C80x06003.84IDATA, READ
.data0x00F10x02001.4IDATA, READ, WRITE
.pdata0x01380x02002.49IDATA, READ
.gfids0x00040x02000.02IDATA, READ
INIT0x05A80x06005.4CODE, EXEC, READ, DISCARD
.rsrc0x03600x04002.87IDATA, READ, DISCARD
.reloc0x00180x02000.29IDATA, READ, DISCARD

Exploit mitigations

Control Flow GuardNot enabled
ASLREnabled
DEPEnabled
Integrity checkNot enforced
Mitigation score55 / 100

YARA rule matches (2)

RuleSeverityDetects
BYOVD_ProcKillcriticalProcess termination EDR killer
MAL_EDRKillercriticalGeneric EDR killer pattern

MITRE ATT&CK techniques (12)

Techniques this driver could enable if loaded by an adversary.

IDTechniqueTactic
T1055.001Process Injection: DLL InjectionDefense Evasion
T1068Exploitation for Privilege EscalationPrivilege Escalation
T1071Application Layer ProtocolCommand and Control
T1112Modify RegistryDefense Evasion
T1211Exploitation for Defense EvasionDefense Evasion
T1489Service StopImpact
T1543.003Windows ServicePersistence
T1547.001Registry Run KeysPersistence
T1553.002Subvert Trust Controls: Code SigningDefense Evasion
T1562.001Disable/Modify ToolsDefense Evasion
T1569.002Service ExecutionExecution
T1652Device Driver DiscoveryDiscovery

Code-signing chain

SignerSymantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2
Signer organisationSymantec Corporation
IssuerThawte Timestamping CA
Serial7E93EBFB7CC64E59EA4B9A77D406FC3B
Valid from2012-12-21 00:00 UTC
Valid until2020-12-30 23:59 UTC (expired)
Signature validityNot verified

Symbolic execution

Engine angr, status completed, 27 paths explored at a maximum depth of 27. Vulnerability classes reached: 1. Exploitable paths: 0.

Corpus match: this hash is present in the known-vulnerable driver corpus DriverShield cross-references during analysis, which is why the score carries a full weighting on that component.

Frequently asked questions about PhantomKiller.sys

Is PhantomKiller.sys safe?

Based on DriverShield static and dynamic analysis, PhantomKiller.sys is flagged as vulnerable and is a potential Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) risk. Its composite risk score is 78/100 (verdict: vulnerable). Always validate findings independently before acting.

What is the risk score of PhantomKiller.sys?

PhantomKiller.sys has a DriverShield composite risk score of 78/100, placing it in the vulnerable verdict band. SHA256: 5ab36c116767eaae53a466fbc2dae7cfd608ed77721f65e83312037fbd57c946.

What is PhantomKiller.sys?

PhantomKiller.sys is a Windows kernel-mode driver (.sys) analyzed by DriverShield for vulnerabilities, BYOVD abuse potential, and malware indicators. It is code-signed by Symantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2.

Related: Other drivers signed by Symantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2 · What an IOCTL dispatch code is · How YARA matching feeds the score · BYOVD research index · full driver database · CVE library · code signing atlas


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