Hydra Ransomware
Hydra is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on March 1, 2020, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide. Security researchers also track this malware under the aliases: Hidra, Hydra Go, Hydra 2020.
Quick facts
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Hydra displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/__________WHY FILES NOT WORK__________.txt
Technical indicators
Associated executable files
The following executable files are associated with Hydra ransomware:
- Hydra Ransomware.exe
- mafi.exe
About this analysis
This Hydra 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 Hydra.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Hydra inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Hydra 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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