Should I block it?
No, this file is 100% safe to run.
Additional versions
(Note, Even Balance publishes each variation of this file with the same version, but the hashes are unique.)
Relationships
Parent process
Related files
pnkbstra.exe
By Even Balance (Signed)
| MD5: | 3a2bdd76e7d2a5f40a7174793d1ba794 |
| SHA1: | 687353237c3d31300f33946b136afb916c2019e2 |
| SHA256: | 029ee2c2f71aec7906600eec4f855dc5648c1ecf53f11426079b04591f24d067 |
Overview
pnkbstra.exe runs as a service under the name PnkBstrA with extensive SYSTEM privileges (full administrator access). It has been configured with a firewall exception which allows both inbound and outbound network communication without being blocked. The file is digitally signed by Even Balance which was issued by the VeriSign certificate authority (CA).
Details
| File name: | pnkbstra.exe |
| Typical file path: | C:\windows\syswow64\pnkbstra.exe |
| Size: | 73.38 KB (75,136 bytes) |
| Certificate |
| Issued to: | Even Balance |
| Authority (CA): | VeriSign |
| Effective date: | Sunday, July 1, 2012 |
| Digital DNA |
| File packed: | No |
| .NET CLR: | No |
More details
Behaviors
Services
Runs under 'SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services' by the Service Controller (services.exe)
Windows firewall allowed programs
Exceptions allow programs to access to the Internet through an outbound connections
- Firewall exception for 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrA.exe'
- Firewall exception for 'C:\WINDOWS\system32\PnkBstrA.exe'
Network connections
Access through an approved Windows firewall exception
[UDP] listens on port 44301
Resource utilization
(Note: statistics below are averages based on a minimum sample size of 200 unique participants)
Averages
| CPU |
| Total CPU: | 0.00010597% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00006937% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00003660% | |
| Kernel CPU time: | 304,020 ms/min | |
| CPU cycles: | 116,839/sec | |
| Context switches: | 4/sec | |
| Memory |
| Private memory: | 1.69 MB | |
| Private (maximum): | 4.09 MB | |
| Private (minimum): | 3.03 MB | |
| Non-paged memory: | 1.69 MB | |
| Virtual memory: | 47.65 MB | |
| Virtual memory (peak): | 50.75 MB | |
| Working set: | 3.36 MB | |
| Working set (peak): | 4.57 MB | |
| Page faults: | 1,897/min | |
| I/O |
| I/O read transfer: | 0 Bytes/sec | |
| I/O read operations: | 1/sec | |
| I/O write transfer: | 0 Bytes/sec | |
| I/O write operations: | 1/sec | |
| I/O other transfer: | 13 Bytes/sec | |
| I/O other operations: | 1/sec | |
| Resource allocations |
| Threads: | 4 | |
| Handles: | 91 | |
| GUI GDI count: | 4 | |
| GUI USER count: | 1 | |
Process properties
| Integrety level: | System |
| Platform: | 64-bit |
| Command lines: |
- C:\windows\syswow64\pnkbstra.exe
- C:\Windows\System32\pnkbstra.exe
|
| Owner: | SYSTEM |
| Windows Service |
| Service name: | PnkBstrA |
| Description: | “PunkBuster Service Component [v1029] http://www.evenbalance.com” |
| Type: | Win32OwnProcess |
| Parent process: | services.exe (Services and Controller app by Microsoft) |
Threads
Averages
| ADVAPI32.dll |
| Total CPU: | 0.00142064% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00065349% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00076714% | |
| CPU cycles: | 181,203/sec | |
| Context switches: | 4/sec | |
| Memory: | 792 KB | |
| sechost.dll |
| Total CPU: | 0.00126756% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00126756% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00000000% | |
| CPU cycles: | 394,771/sec | |
| Context switches: | 5/sec | |
| Memory: | 100 KB | |
| wow64.dll |
| Total CPU: | 0.00042963% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00018262% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00024701% | |
| CPU cycles: | 205,279/sec | |
| Context switches: | 2/sec | |
| Memory: | 252 KB | |
| PnkBstrA.exe (main module) |
| Total CPU: | 0.00002960% | |
| Kernel CPU: | 0.00001733% | |
| User CPU: | 0.00001227% | |
| CPU cycles: | 28,129/sec | |
| Memory: | 88 KB | |
Distribution by Windows OS
| OS version | distribution |
| Windows 7 Home Premium |
28.89% |
|
| Windows 7 Ultimate |
24.44% |
|
| Microsoft Windows XP |
12.78% |
|
| Windows 7 Professional |
7.78% |
|
| Windows 8 Pro |
5.00% |
|
| Windows 7 Home Basic |
3.89% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Premium |
3.89% |
|
| Windows 8 |
3.33% |
|
| Windows 8.1 Pro |
2.22% |
|
| Windows Vista Home Basic |
2.22% |
|
| Windows 8 Pro with Media Center |
1.67% |
|
| Windows Developer Preview |
1.11% |
|
| Windows Vista Business |
1.11% |
|
| Windows 8.1 |
0.56% |
|
| Windows 7 Enterprise |
0.56% |
|
| Windows Vista Ultimate |
0.56% |
|
Distribution by country
United States installs about 22.78% of pnkbstra.exe.
Distribution by PC manufacturer
| PC Manufacturer | distribution |
| ASUS |
16.42% |
|
| Hewlett-Packard |
12.69% |
|
| Acer |
11.94% |
|
| Dell |
10.45% |
|
| Lenovo |
10.45% |
|
| GIGABYTE |
8.21% |
|
| Toshiba |
7.46% |
|
| Sony |
5.97% |
|
| MSI |
5.97% |
|
| Samsung |
2.99% |
|
| Gateway |
2.99% |
|
| American Megatrends |
1.49% |
|
| Intel |
1.49% |
|
| Alienware |
1.49% |
|
