What’s dism.exe (Dism Image Servicing Utility)? Is it safe or a virus?

Dism.exe is a command-line tool developed by Microsoft Corporation that is used to service Windows images and offline operating systems. It stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management.

This tool is designed to help administrators maintain, customize, and repair Windows images, including those used for deployment in large-scale corporate environments. Dism.exe can be used to install, uninstall, configure, and update various Windows features and packages, as well as repair corrupted system files.

It offers a wide range of options for managing Windows images, making it a valuable tool for system administrators working with Windows operating systems.

Below are 4 simple steps you can take to see if the dism.exe process is safe or malware.

Researched by Carl @ SpyShelter Labs

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More about dism.exe on WINDOWS

Who makes dism.exe (Dism Image Servicing Utility)?

We’ve found Microsoft Corporation should be the publisher of dism.exe.

How do we know? Our SpyShelter cybersecurity labs focuses on monitoring different types of Windows PC executables and their behaviors for our popular SpyShelter Antispyware software. Learn more about us, and how our cybersecurity team studies Windows PC executables/processes.

What does it mean if someone is the publisher of a PC .exe (executable or process)?

The publisher of an executable is the entity responsible for its distribution and authenticity. Most processes/executables on your PC should be signed. The signature on the executable should have been verified through a third party whose job it is to make sure the entity is who it says it is. Find an unsigned executable? You should consider scanning any completely unsigned .exe on your PC.

Last updated: February 5, 2024

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Our team at SpyShelter has been studying Windows PC executables for over 15 years, to help fight against spyware, malware, and other threats. SpyShelter has been featured in publications like The Register, PC Magazine, and many others. Now we’re working to share free, actionable, and easy to understand information about Windows executables (processes) with the world, to help as many people as possible keep their devices safe. Learn more about us on our "About SpyShelter” page.

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