Iron Ransomware
Iron is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on April 1, 2018, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide. Security researchers also track this malware under the aliases: Iron Locker, Iron Unlocker.
Quick facts
How Iron ransomware works
File encryption patterns
Iron modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Iron displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/!HELP_YOUR_FILES.HTML
notes/!HELP_YOUR_FILES.HTML
Technical indicators
Associated executable files
The following executable files are associated with Iron ransomware:
- ado64
- Iron.exe
- ftp.exe
- core.scr
About this analysis
This Iron 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 Iron.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Iron inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Iron 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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