Ransomware Research

BTCWare-Nuclear Ransomware

BTCWare-Nuclear is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on August 1, 2017, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.

Quick Facts

Ransomware Family
BTCWare-Nuclear
First Seen
August 1, 2017

How BTCWare-Nuclear Ransomware Works

File Encryption Patterns

BTCWare-Nuclear modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:

File extensions added after encryption:

..nuclear

Ransom Note and Payment Demands

After encrypting files, BTCWare-Nuclear displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:

fileHELP.hta

Ransom message:

notes/HELP.hta

Note locations:

Roaming

Technical Indicators

Associated Executable Files

The following executable files are associated with BTCWare-Nuclear ransomware:

  • payload.exe
  • 1.exe
  • Underkeeper2
  • Underkeeper2.exe
  • btcware2.exe

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About This Analysis

This BTCWare-Nuclear ransomware analysis is part of Elastio's comprehensive ransomware detection database. Elastio provides advanced ransomware protection and recovery solutions, helping organizations defend against and recover from ransomware attacks like BTCWare-Nuclear.

Last updated: October 30, 2025

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