ardrv_14.sys - Vulnerable (78/100) - DriverShield Analysis

Analysis of ardrv_14.sys: vulnerable verdict, risk score 78/100. 2 YARA matches, 1/74 multi-engine detections. SHA256 59080957de2519f5. Kernel imports, IOCTL codes, MITRE ATT&CK, and code-signing details.

ardrv_14.sys - Analysis Report

DriverShield analyzed the Windows kernel driver ardrv_14.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).

Verdict	Vulnerable (78/100)
YARA matches	2
Multi-engine detections	1 / 74
File size	18248 bytes
Code-signing signer	Symantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2
Analyzed	2026-09-06
SHA256	59080957de2519f5013be8ccf0b9012dc97ad692e69578cb3f60148c528bdbb1
SHA1	11e24f2debc92df1dd0574a7de14ae7903b1ca5f
MD5	77bdf1dada2014c98e4e50b2765fbd05

Driver identity

Version resource data embedded in the ardrv_14.sys PE header, as extracted by the analysis engine.

File description	AppRemover Driver
Product	AppRemover Driver
Company	OPSWAT, Inc.
Original filename	ardrv.sys
Internal name	ardrv.sys
File version	2019.09.06.0344
Copyright	© OPSWAT, Inc. 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.

Component	Sub-score
Multi-engine consensus	0 / 100
YARA signature matches	100 / 100
Dangerous kernel imports	100 / 100
IOCTL dispatch surface	12 / 100
Known-vulnerable corpus	100 / 100
Code-signing state	80 / 100
Packing and entropy	0 / 100
Dynamic behaviour	0 / 100
CVE cross-reference	0 / 100

Kernel imports (20)

Kernel-mode APIs resolved from the Import Address Table of ardrv_14.sys, ranked by exploitation relevance.

API	Risk	Why it matters
ZwTerminateProcess	critical	Highly dangerous - potential for arbitrary code execution, memory corruption, or process termination
PsLookupProcessByProcessId	high	Potentially dangerous - could be used for privilege escalation or security bypass
KeAttachProcess	high	Potentially dangerous - could be used for privilege escalation or security bypass
MmGetSystemRoutineAddress	high	Potentially dangerous - could be used for privilege escalation or security bypass
ObReferenceObjectByHandle	medium	Moderate risk - system modification capability
ZwSetValueKey	medium	Moderate risk - system modification capability
KeBugCheckEx	medium	Moderate risk - system modification capability
ZwSetInformationFile	medium	Moderate risk - system modification capability
ObOpenObjectByPointer	medium	Moderate risk - system modification capability
ZwOpenKey	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoDeleteDevice	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
RtlInitUnicodeString	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoCreateDevice	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IofCompleteRequest	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
DbgPrint	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoCreateSymbolicLink	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
IoDeleteSymbolicLink	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
ProbeForWrite	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
ZwQueryInformationFile	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign
ZwClose	low	Standard kernel API - generally benign

IOCTL dispatch codes (4)

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.

Code	Severity	Transfer	Description
0x00343417	high	METHOD_NEITHER	FILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #3333
0x00340033	high	METHOD_NEITHER	FILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #12
0x002200F0	medium	METHOD_BUFFERED	FILE_DEVICE_UNKNOWN Function #60
0x00340300	medium	METHOD_BUFFERED	FILE_DEVICE_DISK Function #192

PE sections

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

Section	Virtual size	Raw size	Entropy	Flags
.text	0x12B4	0x1400	5.82	CODE, EXEC, READ
.rdata	0x0264	0x0400	2.69	IDATA, READ
.data	0x0118	0x0200	0.3	IDATA, READ, WRITE
.pdata	0x00CC	0x0200	1.79	IDATA, READ
INIT	0x04B0	0x0600	4.32	CODE, EXEC, READ, WRITE, DISCARD
.rsrc	0x0360	0x0400	2.91	IDATA, READ, DISCARD

Exploit mitigations

Control Flow Guard	Not enabled
ASLR	Not enabled
DEP	Not enabled
Integrity check	Not enforced
Mitigation score	5 / 100

No CFG - Control Flow Guard is not enabled. Indirect call targets are not validated, making the driver susceptible to control flow hijacking via corrupted function pointers or vtables.
No ASLR - ASLR is disabled. The driver loads at a predictable address, enabling reliable exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities.
No DEP - DEP is disabled. Data pages are executable, allowing shellcode execution from stack/heap buffers.
Expired Certificate - The driver is signed but the certificate has expired. Windows may still load it depending on revocation policy.

YARA rule matches (2)

Rule	Severity	Detects
BYOVD_ProcKill	critical	Process termination EDR killer
MAL_EDRKiller	critical	Generic EDR killer pattern

MITRE ATT&CK techniques (10)

Techniques this driver could enable if loaded by an adversary.

ID	Technique	Tactic
T1055.001	Process Injection: DLL Injection	Defense Evasion
T1068	Exploitation for Privilege Escalation	Privilege Escalation
T1071	Application Layer Protocol	Command and Control
T1211	Exploitation for Defense Evasion	Defense Evasion
T1489	Service Stop	Impact
T1543.003	Windows Service	Persistence
T1553.002	Subvert Trust Controls: Code Signing	Defense Evasion
T1562.001	Disable/Modify Tools	Defense Evasion
T1569.002	Service Execution	Execution
T1652	Device Driver Discovery	Discovery

Code-signing chain

Signer	Symantec Time Stamping Services CA - G2
Signer organisation	Symantec Corporation
Issuer	Thawte Timestamping CA
Serial	7E93EBFB7CC64E59EA4B9A77D406FC3B
Valid from	2012-12-21 00:00 UTC
Valid until	2020-12-30 23:59 UTC (expired)
Signature validity	Not verified

Certificate revision: 0x0200
Certificate type: PKCS#7
Chain: Symantec Time Stamping Services Signer - G4
Chain: OPSWAT, Inc.
Chain: Symantec Class 3 SHA256 Code Signing CA
Chain: VeriSign Class 3 Public Primary Certification Authority - G5

Symbolic execution

Engine angr, status completed, 38 paths explored at a maximum depth of 38. Vulnerability classes reached: 0. 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 ardrv_14.sys

Is ardrv_14.sys safe?

Based on DriverShield static and dynamic analysis, ardrv_14.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 ardrv_14.sys?

ardrv_14.sys has a DriverShield composite risk score of 78/100, placing it in the vulnerable verdict band. SHA256: 59080957de2519f5013be8ccf0b9012dc97ad692e69578cb3f60148c528bdbb1.

What is ardrv_14.sys?

ardrv_14.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.