MalwareTips
Threat LensFile scan report

Is AiDefend.exe safe?

Verdict
Malicious

6 of 76 antivirus engines flagged this file as malicious.

6 of 76 antivirus engines flagged this file as malicious.

Do not run this file

Delete this file and scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus.

Read the full analysis
Saved file evidenceAntivirus consensus
6of 76 flagged
Flagged 6No detection 70
Digital specimenAiDefend.exed6a0a37ba8d07bbca3…7d33f3295f916b
Size4.4 MB
Code signingUnsigned
SandboxNot run
First seen22d ago
Evidence1 priority signal
6 of 76 antivirus engines flagged the file, including alibabacloud and APEX.

Recommended next actions

01

Before running

Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

02

If you already ran it

Disconnect from the internet, start a full or offline antivirus scan, then secure important accounts from a clean device.

Chapter 02

Intelligence

The saved assessment, checked against the scan evidence and recorded coverage.

MT AI Engine · Verdict analysis

The reasoning behind this verdict

This section explains the evidence supporting the verdict and keeps conflicting or missing signals visible.

50%Confidence
Moderate
Analyst conclusion

6 of 76 antivirus engines flagged this file as malicious.

Recommended action

Delete this file and scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus.

Scan transparency

Coverage & freshness

1 of 5 complete

Complete means the check returned a usable result. It does not mean the file is safe.

  • Antivirus

    Complete

    6 of 76 engines flagged the file.

  • Sandbox

    Not run

    No runtime observation is recorded for this report.

    No timestamp recorded

  • Network

    Not run

    No contacted-host reputation check is recorded.

    No timestamp recorded

  • YARA

    Not run

    No rule evaluation is recorded for this report.

    No timestamp recorded

  • External intel

    Not run

    No independent reference checks are recorded.

    No timestamp recorded
Chapter 03

Behavior

Plain-English impact first, then the observed runtime evidence.

Threat context

How ransomware works

Ransomware scrambles (encrypts) your personal files — photos, documents, everything — so you can't open them, then demands a payment for the key to unlock them. Some versions also delete your backups first so you can't simply restore.

Bottom line:Without a backup made before the infection, the encrypted files are often unrecoverable.

Chapter 04

Detection & Forensics

Consensus, attribution, signatures, code structure, prevalence, and identity.

Chapter 05

Safety & FAQ

Complete recovery guidance and answers for the next decision.

What to do now

This file is dangerous. Treat it as harmful and remove it.

  1. Recovery step 01

    Don't run this file. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash.

  2. Recovery step 02

    If you already ran it, disconnect from the internet and start with a full antivirus scan or Microsoft Defender Offline scan. If compromise is suspected or the problem persists, use a reputable second-opinion scanner and follow incident-recovery or clean-reinstall guidance.

  3. Recovery step 03

    If any of your files were locked or renamed, do NOT pay the ransom — payment rarely restores files. Recover them from a backup instead.

  4. Recovery step 04

    Get a fresh copy from the developer's official site or an official app store.

Safety FAQ

Direct answers grounded in the saved verdict and evidence in this report.

8 evidence-based answers
Is AiDefend.exe a virus?
Evidence-based answer
Yes — AiDefend.exe is malicious. Do not run it. Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 6 of 76 antivirus engines flag it. It behaves as ransomware, which encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. If you've already run it, see the removal and recovery steps below.
What is AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
AiDefend.exe is a Windows executable program, about 4.4 MB. Our analysis identifies it as malicious — ransomware, which encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. Because a file's name and icon can be faked, the safest way to identify it is by its cryptographic hash (below), not its filename.
How many antivirus engines detected AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
6 of 76 antivirus engines flagged AiDefend.exe, 6 of them as outright malicious. The raw count alone does not establish safety or danger; we also weigh which engines flagged it and corroborating behavior, identity, reputation, and rule evidence. The malicious verdict comes from the complete saved evidence, not from this antivirus count by itself.
What should I do if I already ran AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
Act quickly. 1) Disconnect the device from the internet to stop the malware communicating or spreading. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software (such as Malwarebytes) and quarantine everything it finds. 3) Change your important passwords from a DIFFERENT, clean device — many threats log keystrokes or steal saved credentials. 4) If you bank or shop on this device, watch closely for fraud and alert your bank. 5) For a confirmed infection, the most reliable fix is to back up your personal files and reinstall the operating system for a clean start.
How do I remove AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
To remove AiDefend.exe: 1) restart into Safe Mode (Safe Mode with Networking if you need to download a tool) so the malware doesn't auto-start. 2) Run a full scan with reputable anti-malware software and let it quarantine or delete the detections. 3) Delete this file from the device, then empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. 4) Check your browser extensions, startup items, and scheduled tasks for anything unfamiliar. 5) Reboot and scan again to confirm it's gone. If detections keep coming back, a clean operating-system reinstall is the most dependable cure.
What kind of malware is AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
AiDefend.exe is classified as ransomware, which encrypts your files and demands payment to unlock them. Knowing the family matters because it tells you the likely impact — data theft, remote control, file encryption, or unwanted ads — and guides the cleanup.
What is the SHA-256 hash of AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
The SHA-256 hash of AiDefend.exe is d6a0a37ba8d07bbca3606c1ef06dea7f7b49b88c51f46bccfd7d33f3295f916b, and its MD5 is 995a85d89832468412be2def7ea21951. This hash is the file's unique fingerprint — two files with the same SHA-256 are identical. Use it to confirm you're looking at exactly this file (not just one with the same name) when comparing against antivirus databases or a download's published checksum.
How up to date is this analysis of AiDefend.exe?
Evidence-based answer
This report reflects the scan run on April 20, 2026. Because a file's hash never changes, the identity of AiDefend.exe is fixed — but antivirus coverage improves over time, so a file that looks clean today can pick up detections later (and vice-versa). If you need the latest picture, MalwareTips staff can re-run the analysis from scratch.
Chapter 06

Community

Member reviews and reports for this exact file hash.

Scanned by
JackStaff
Scan another
Check a different file
URL instead?
Check if a link is safe
The raw file is processed temporarily and is not retained after processing. Its hash and report are public and permanent, so the next person who checks the same file gets an instant answer. Unknown files may be submitted to VirusTotal for analysis. If you ran this file on your computer and are worried, scan your system with an up-to-date antivirus and change critical passwords from a different device.