Potato Ransomware
Potato is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on January 1, 2017, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.
Quick facts
How Potato ransomware works
File encryption patterns
Potato modifies encrypted files using specific patterns to mark them as encrypted:
Ransom note and payment demands
After encrypting files, Potato displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:
notes/How to recover my files.txt,How to recover my files.html.txt
Technical indicators
Associated executable files
The following executable files are associated with Potato ransomware:
- potato.exe
- decryptor.exe.bin
About this analysis
This Potato 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 Potato.
Last updated: December 30, 2025
Elastio detects Potato inside your data and backups.
The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Potato 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.
Recent ransomware
Explore other threats in our database