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What’s cloudflared.exe? Is it safe or a virus?

Cloudflared.exe is a command-line application developed by Cloudflare, Inc. that facilitates secure and private connections between a user's local network or device and Cloudflare's global network. It is commonly used for Cloudflare Tunnel, which creates a secure, encrypted pathway for traffic to reach internal applications or local web servers without exposing them to the internet directly. This bypasses the need for traditional VPN setups or public IPs, enhancing security and accessibility. Additionally, it can serve as a DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) proxy, encrypting DNS queries to improve privacy and prevent tracking or interception by unauthorized third parties.

Researched by Carl @ SpyShelter Labs

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A Trojan is a harmful software that pretends to be a legitimate program or file to deceive users into downloading it. It can steal personal information, damage files, or give hackers control over the infected device.

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More about cloudflared.exe on WINDOWS

Who makes cloudflared.exe?

We’ve found Cloudflare, Inc. should be the publisher of cloudflared.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: November 28, 2025

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Why should you trust us?

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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