Ransomware Research

WANA CRY Ransomware

WANA CRY is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on December 1, 2023, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.

Quick Facts

Ransomware Family
WANA CRY
First Seen
December 1, 2023

How WANA CRY Ransomware Works

File Encryption Patterns

WANA CRY modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:

File extensions added after encryption:

./\.[a-z0-9]{4}$/

Ransom Note and Payment Demands

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

fileread_it.txt

Ransom message:

notes/read_it.txt

Note locations:

EveryFolder
screenshot

Ransom message:

notes/261qi6dry.jpg

Note locations:

Desktop

Technical Indicators

Associated Executable Files

The following executable files are associated with WANA CRY ransomware:

  • fff.exe
  • svchost.exe

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About This Analysis

This WANA CRY 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 WANA CRY.

Last updated: July 30, 2025