What’s pldsvc.exe (PaladinVPN Svc)? Is it safe or a virus?

Pldsvc.exe is a process associated with Ledger Media Ltd., a digital marketing company that had its domain name seized by the US FBI. This executable file is responsible for running various background operations related to Ledger Media's services, which may include ad serving, data collection, and content delivery.

The FBI reports that pldsvc.exe also causes your PC to become part of a (911 s5 backdoor) botnet.

https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/how-to-identify-and-remove-vpn-applications-that-contain-911-s5-backdoors

A PC Windows botnet is a network of compromised personal computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system that have been infected with malicious software (malware). This malware allows an attacker to remotely control these PCs as "bots" or "zombies" without the owners' knowledge or consent. The attacker can then utilize the cumulative computing power and internet connectivity of this botnet for nefarious purposes like distributed denial-of-service attacks, sending spam emails, or harvesting sensitive data from the infected machines.

Researched by Laura @ SpyShelter Labs