Ransomware Research

Santa Ransomware

Santa is a malicious ransomware strain that encrypts victim files and demands ransom payment for decryption. First observed in the wild on December 1, 2017, this ransomware has been actively targeting systems worldwide.

Quick facts

Ransomware Family
Santa
First Seen
December 1, 2017

Ransom note and payment demands

After encrypting files, Santa displays ransom notes demanding payment for file recovery:

message
notes/note.txt
Location: OnceOnCompletion

Technical indicators

Associated executable files

The following executable files are associated with Santa ransomware:

About this analysis

This Santa 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 Santa.

Last updated: December 30, 2025

Detection coverage

Elastio detects Santa inside your data and backups.

The Hunt Engine uses Deep File Inspection to identify Santa 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.

See How the Hunt Engine WorksRequest a Demo

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