Mermaid Ransomware
Mermaid is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on December 1, 2019, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide. Security researchers also track this malware under the aliases: Deniz Kizi, DenizKizi.
Quick facts
How Mermaid ransomware works
File encryption patterns
Mermaid modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Mermaid displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/Please Read Me!!!.hta
notes/Lütfen Beni Oku!!!.log
notes/Please Read ME!!!.log
notes/Beni_Oku!!!.hta
Technical indicators
Associated executable files
The following executable files are associated with Mermaid ransomware:
- Ztarter.exe
- Konyalı Zula Hack V4 2019.exe
- k.exe
- svchost.exe
- svchost.exe.zp.bin
- Starter.exe
- Starter.bin
- Deniz_Kızı.exe
About this analysis
This Mermaid 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 Mermaid.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Mermaid inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Mermaid 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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