Owl Ransomware
Owl is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on October 1, 2021, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.
Quick facts
How Owl ransomware works
File encryption patterns
Owl modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Owl displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/!README!.txt
notes/!README!.hta
About this analysis
This Owl 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 Owl.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Owl inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Owl 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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