Recory
Overview
Executive Summary
Recory is a deceptive malware family that operates primarily as "Scareware" or a Fake Antivirus (Fake AV) program, while occasionally exhibiting aggressive ransomware-like behaviors. Its core objective is financial extortion. It infiltrates a system, generates fabricated security alerts claiming the machine is heavily infected, and demands immediate payment (usually via credit card) for a "premium license" to remove the non-existent threats.Infection Vector and Technical Capabilities
Recory is most commonly distributed via aggressive "malvertising" campaigns (where malicious ads redirect users to pages claiming their PC is infected) or bundled within "free" software installers downloaded from untrustworthy sources. Once executed, Recory focuses entirely on psychological manipulation and system disruption:- Fabricated Scans and Alerts: The malware launches a highly realistic, but completely fake, graphical user interface mimicking legitimate antivirus software (e.g., Windows Defender). It performs a rapid "scan" and invariably reports dozens of critical infections, utilizing flashing red warnings and alarming sound effects.
- System Disruption (Ransomware Behavior): To force the user to pay, Recory actively disrupts normal system operations. It frequently terminates legitimate executable files (like Task Manager, Registry Editor, and real antivirus software), claiming they are "infected." Some aggressive variants will hide desktop icons and the taskbar, simulating a locked system.
- Extortion Portal: The malware constantly redirects the user's web browser to a payment portal controlled by the attackers, demanding a credit card payment to "activate" the fake antivirus and restore the system.
Threat Assessment
While Recory typically does not utilize strong encryption to lock files (like true ransomware), it causes massive operational disruption and severe psychological distress for the user. Furthermore, entering credit card information into the extortion portal immediately compromises that financial data, leading to secondary fraud.Remediation and Eradication
- Safe Mode Eradication: Because Recory actively terminates security tools, the infected endpoint must usually be booted into Windows Safe Mode. From Safe Mode, a reputable, enterprise-grade anti-malware solution can be run to detect and remove the Fake AV executables and repair the hijacked registry keys.
- Do Not Pay the Ransom: Under no circumstances should the user enter their credit card information. The software is fake, and payment will simply result in stolen financial data.
- System Restoration: In severe cases where the malware has heavily damaged the registry or hidden critical system files, restoring the machine from a known-good backup or utilizing Windows System Restore may be the most efficient path to recovery.
Known aliases
Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1491.001 T1489 T1547.001
Generated Detections (Boilerplate)
These YARA and Sigma rules are auto-generated based on the family name and aliases. They must be heavily tuned before deployment in a production environment.
YARA Rule
rule MALWARE_WIN_RECORY {
meta:
description = "Detects Recory (ransomware)"
author = "SystemHelpdesk Boilerplate Generator"
date = "2026-07-06"
strings:
$s1 = "recory" ascii wide nocase
$s2 = "fakeav.recory" ascii wide nocase
$s3 = "ransom.recory" ascii wide nocase
$s4 = "scareware.win32/recory" ascii wide nocase
condition:
uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}Sigma Rule
title: Suspicious Recory Activity
id: 1b78873261f8b9a01b84747ff4d73504
status: experimental
description: Detects generic indicators of the recory malware family.
logsource:
category: process_creation
product: windows
detection:
selection:
Image|endswith:
- '\cmd.exe'
- '\powershell.exe'
CommandLine|contains:
- "*recory*"
- "*fakeav.recory*"
- "*ransom.recory*"
- "*scareware.win32/recory*"
condition: selection
level: mediumReferences & External Analysis
- Search "recory" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I remove the Recory Ransomware from Windows?
Manual removal of Recory is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.
Is Recory a virus or a Ransomware?
Recory is classified as a Ransomware. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Recory typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.
What are the main symptoms of a Recory infection?
Symptoms of Recory can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.
Related Families (Category: ransomware)
Explore other malware families in the same category:
Protect Your Network Against Ransomwares
Want to prevent Recory and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Ransomware Protection Guide.
Machine-readable
Get this profile as JSON: https://jordan123234-malware-families-explorer.static.hf.space/api/recory.json
Ecosystem & Interactive Environments
This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.