Ransomware Research

Matrix Ransomware

Matrix is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on November 1, 2016, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide. Security researchers also track this malware under the aliases: Malta.

Quick facts

Ransomware Family
Matrix
First Seen
November 1, 2016
Known Aliases
Malta

How Matrix ransomware works

File encryption patterns

Matrix modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:

Extensions added after encryption
.[barboza40@yahoo.com].[JUCHE001@TUTANOTA.COM].[Yourencrypt@tutanota.com].FG69.matrix.b10cked.pyongyan001@yahoo.com._[RELOCK001@TUTA.IO].[files4463@tuta.io].[RestorFile@tutanota.com].[oken@tutanota.com].MTXLOCK.ATOM.ANN.CORE.FOX.KOK8.NEWRAR.FASTBOB.FASTB.KOK08.ITLOCK.EMAN.GMAN.EMAN50.NOBAD.THDA.GMPF.SPCT.GRHAN.GMBN.PLANT.PEDANT.GBLOCK.SBLOCK.SCR.CRYPTO.NGSC.PRCP.enc.RAD.[Kromber@tutanota.com].QH24.MDRL.YDHM.DECP.ABAT.YDH3.PSAFE.DRSC.MT88.TMS5.BDDY.CHRB.BWNG.FDFK.MKES.ATKL.SNTG.AG88G.AL8P.AL8G.JB78.RE78P.MH24.AB89.FDFK22.BG85.J91D.S996.AW46.DEUS.TG33.M88P.BBGT.TRU8.JDPR.MMTA.CTRM.FRFO.[Bitmine8@tutanota.com].[RestoreFile@qq.com].[DATSUN987@TUTANOTA.COM].[d3336666@tutanota.com].[Vfemacry@mail-on.us].FASTA.[poluz@tutanota.com]
Prefixes added to encrypted files
[Citrteam@yahoo.com].[KOK08@QQ.COM][FastBob@protonmail.com][FridaFarko@yahoo.com][maihoandcryp@qq.com]

Ransom note and payment demands

After encrypting files, Matrix displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:

message
notes/note.txt
Location: Login
message
notes/note1.txt
Location: Login
fileReadme-Matrix.rtf
file/^WhatHappenedWithMyFiles[0-9]{0,2}\.rtf$/
notes/WhatHappenedWithMyFiles22.rtf
Location: Desktop
fileBl0cked-ReadMe.rtf
file!WhatHappenedWithMyFiles!.rtf
notes/!WhatHappenedWithMyFiles!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#ANN_README#.rtf
notes/#ANN_README#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_TRU8!.rtf
notes/!README_TRU8!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!What-wrong-with-files!.rtf
notes/!What-wrong-with-files!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#README_FASTA#.rtf
notes/#README_FASTA#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileT0_Rest0re_Files_Read_This.rtf
notes/T0_Rest0re_Files_Read_This.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileReadMe_T0_Rec0ver_Files.rtf
notes/ReadMe_T0_Rec0ver_Files.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#KOK08_README#.rtf
notes/#KOK08_README#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_FASTBOB!.rtf
notes/!README_FASTBOB!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_KOK08!.rtf
notes/!README_KOK08!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#ReadMe_T0_Decrypt_Files.rtf
notes/#ReadMe_T0_Decrypt_Files.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileWhat_Happened_With_Files.rtf
notes/What_Happened_With_Files.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileWhatHappenedWithFiles.rtf
notes/WhatHappenedWithFiles.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#NOBAD_README#.rtf
notes/#NOBAD_README#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#How_to_return_files#.rtf
notes/#How_to_return_files#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_CHRB!.rtf
notes/!README_CHRB!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#_#FASTBOB_README#_#.rtf
notes/#_#FASTBOB_README#_#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileFG69_README.rtf
notes/FG69_README.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileCTRM_INFO.rtf
notes/CTRM_INFO.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file/^Read_Me_T0_Rest0re_Files\d{1,2}\.rtf$/
notes/Read_Me_T0_Rest0re_Files45.rtf
Location: Desktop
file#_#Where-is-my-files#_#!.rtf
notes/#_#Where-is-my-files#_#!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#_#WhatWrongWithMyFiles#_#.rtf
notes/#_#WhatWrongWithMyFiles#_#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileFRFO_INFO.rtf
notes/FRFO_INFO.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!OoopsYourFilesLocked!.rtf
file#What-Happened-With-Files#.rtf
fileT0_Rec0ver_Files_ReadME.rtf
notes/T0_Rec0ver_Files_ReadME.rtf
file#NEWRAR_README#.rtf
notes/#NEWRAR_README#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!ReadMe_To_Decrypt_Files!.rtf
notes/!ReadMe_To_Decrypt_Files!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#Decrypt_Files_ReadMe#.rtf
notes/#Decrypt_Files_ReadMe#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!ReadMe_How_To_Decrypt_Files!.rtf
notes/!ReadMe_How_To_Decrypt_Files!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#What_Wrong_With_Files#.rtf
notes/#What_Wrong_With_Files#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_ATOM!.rtf
notes/!README_ATOM!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!T0_Rest0re_Y0ur_FilEs_ReadMe!.rtf
notes/!T0_Rest0re_Y0ur_FilEs_ReadMe!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file!README_ITLOCK!.rtf
notes/!README_ITLOCK!.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
fileRead_This_To_Rest0re_Files.rtf
notes/Read_This_To_Rest0re_Files.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#README_ANN#.rtf
file/(#|!)?\w+_README(#|!)?\.rtf\b/
notes/#CORE_README#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file/(#|!)?(README|Readme)_[A-Z0-9]{4,6}(#|!)?\.rtf\b/
notes/#README_EMAN#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file/^_?!?[A-Z0-9]{4,6}_INFO!?\.rtf\b/
file!README PLANT!.rtf
file#_#RAD_README#_#.rtf
notes/#_#RAD_README#_#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder
file#_#ReadMe#_#.rtf
file#How-to-return-files#.rtf
notes/#How-to-return-files#.rtf
Location: EveryFolder

Technical indicators

Associated executable files

The following executable files are associated with Matrix ransomware:

About this analysis

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

Last updated: December 30, 2025

Detection coverage

Elastio detects Matrix inside your data and backups.

The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Matrix across live data, replicated data, and backups. If this family is in your environment, Elastio finds it before encryption completes. Run a scan against your recovery points to confirm.

See How the Hunt Engine WorksRequest a Demo

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