Cancer Ransomware
Cancer is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on February 1, 2017, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.
Quick facts
How Cancer ransomware works
File encryption patterns
Cancer modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Cancer displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/ewwwwww~cancer.png
Technical indicators
Associated executable files
The following executable files are associated with Cancer ransomware:
- VirusTotal.exe
- cancer.exe
- cancer ransom.exe
- VirusTotal.com .exe
- Cancer Malware.exe
About this analysis
This Cancer 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 Cancer.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Cancer inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Cancer 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.
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