A digitally signed application includes a cryptographic signature that can help verify who published it and whether the signed software has been altered since signing. Operating systems and security tools may use this information to assess whether an application is trusted. A valid signature, however, does not guarantee that the software is secure or that its runtime environment is safe.
In attacks such as DLL side-loading, a legitimate signed application may load a malicious helper library placed where the program searches for files. The application’s signature can remain valid even as hostile code runs within its process. Defenders should therefore check software versions and installation locations, monitor which files processes load, and investigate unusual activity-not rely on signatures alone.