Ransomware Research

PhoneNumber Ransomware

PhoneNumber is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on September 1, 2019, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.

Quick Facts

Ransomware Family
PhoneNumber
First Seen
September 1, 2019

How PhoneNumber Ransomware Works

Targeted Files

NOSAMPLE PhoneNumber as ransom extension

File Encryption Patterns

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

File extensions added after encryption:

./\.[0-9]{3}-[0-9]{3}-[0-9]{4}$/

Ransom Note and Payment Demands

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

file/^!_[A-Z]{5}_README_!\.txt$/

Ransom message:

notes/!_SDCCD_README_!.txt

Elastio Can Help You

Don't let PhoneNumber ransomware take over your data

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About This Analysis

This PhoneNumber 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 PhoneNumber.

Last updated: July 30, 2025

PhoneNumber Ransomware - Detectable by Elastio