type: attack-pattern
spec_version: 2.1
id: attack-pattern--b80d107d-fa0d-4b60-9684-b0433e8bdba0
created: 2019-03-15T13:59:30.390Z
created_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
revoked: no
external_references: source_name: mitre-attack
url: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1486
external_id: T1486
source_name: CarbonBlack Conti July 2020
description: Baskin, B. (2020, July 8). TAU Threat Discovery: Conti Ransomware. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
url: https://www.carbonblack.com/blog/tau-threat-discovery-conti-ransomware/
source_name: FireEye WannaCry 2017
description: Berry, A., Homan, J., and Eitzman, R. (2017, May 23). WannaCry Malware Profile. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
url: https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/05/wannacry-malware-profile.html
source_name: Rhino S3 Ransomware Part 1
description: Gietzen, S. (n.d.). S3 Ransomware Part 1: Attack Vector. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
url: https://rhinosecuritylabs.com/aws/s3-ransomware-part-1-attack-vector/
source_name: Halcyon AWS Ransomware 2025
description: Halcyon RISE Team. (2025, January 13). Abusing AWS Native Services: Ransomware Encrypting S3 Buckets with SSE-C. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
url: https://www.halcyon.ai/blog/abusing-aws-native-services-ransomware-encrypting-s3-buckets-with-sse-c
source_name: Varonis
description: Jason Hill. (2023, February 8). VMware ESXi in the Line of Ransomware Fire. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
url: https://www.varonis.com/blog/vmware-esxi-in-the-line-of-ransomware-fire
source_name: Crowdstrike Hypervisor Jackpotting Pt 2 2021
description: Michael Dawson. (2021, August 30). Hypervisor Jackpotting, Part 2: eCrime Actors Increase Targeting of ESXi Servers with Ransomware. Retrieved March 26, 2025.
url: https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/blog/hypervisor-jackpotting-ecrime-actors-increase-targeting-of-esxi-servers/
source_name: NHS Digital Egregor Nov 2020
description: NHS Digital. (2020, November 26). Egregor Ransomware The RaaS successor to Maze. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
url: https://digital.nhs.uk/cyber-alerts/2020/cc-3681#summary
source_name: US-CERT Ransomware 2016
description: US-CERT. (2016, March 31). Alert (TA16-091A): Ransomware and Recent Variants. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
url: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA16-091A
source_name: US-CERT NotPetya 2017
description: US-CERT. (2017, July 1). Alert (TA17-181A): Petya Ransomware. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
url: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/TA17-181A
source_name: US-CERT SamSam 2018
description: US-CERT. (2018, December 3). Alert (AA18-337A): SamSam Ransomware. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
url: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/AA18-337A
object_marking_refs: marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168
modified: 2025-10-24T17:49:16.589Z
name: Data Encrypted for Impact
description: Adversaries may encrypt data on target systems or on large numbers of systems in a network to interrupt availability to system and network resources. They can attempt to render stored data inaccessible by encrypting files or data on local and remote drives and withholding access to a decryption key. This may be done in order to extract monetary compensation from a victim in exchange for decryption or a decryption key (ransomware) or to render data permanently inaccessible in cases where the key is not saved or transmitted.(Citation: US-CERT Ransomware 2016)(Citation: FireEye WannaCry 2017)(Citation: US-CERT NotPetya 2017)(Citation: US-CERT SamSam 2018)

In the case of ransomware, it is typical that common user files like Office documents, PDFs, images, videos, audio, text, and source code files will be encrypted (and often renamed and/or tagged with specific file markers). Adversaries may need to first employ other behaviors, such as [File and Directory Permissions Modification](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1222) or [System Shutdown/Reboot](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1529), in order to unlock and/or gain access to manipulate these files.(Citation: CarbonBlack Conti July 2020) In some cases, adversaries may encrypt critical system files, disk partitions, and the MBR.(Citation: US-CERT NotPetya 2017) Adversaries may also encrypt virtual machines hosted on ESXi or other hypervisors.(Citation: Crowdstrike Hypervisor Jackpotting Pt 2 2021) 

To maximize impact on the target organization, malware designed for encrypting data may have worm-like features to propagate across a network by leveraging other attack techniques like [Valid Accounts](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078), [OS Credential Dumping](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1003), and [SMB/Windows Admin Shares](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1021/002).(Citation: FireEye WannaCry 2017)(Citation: US-CERT NotPetya 2017) Encryption malware may also leverage [Internal Defacement](https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1491/001), such as changing victim wallpapers or ESXi server login messages, or otherwise intimidate victims by sending ransom notes or other messages to connected printers (known as "print bombing").(Citation: NHS Digital Egregor Nov 2020)(Citation: Varonis)

In cloud environments, storage objects within compromised accounts may also be encrypted.(Citation: Rhino S3 Ransomware Part 1) For example, in AWS environments, adversaries may leverage services such as AWS’s Server-Side Encryption with Customer Provided Keys (SSE-C) to encrypt data.(Citation: Halcyon AWS Ransomware 2025)
kill_chain_phases: kill_chain_name: mitre-attack
phase_name: impact
x_mitre_attack_spec_version: 3.2.0
x_mitre_contributors: Oleg Kolesnikov, Securonix
Mayuresh Dani, Qualys
Harshal Tupsamudre, Qualys
Travis Smith, Qualys
ExtraHop
x_mitre_deprecated: no
x_mitre_domains: enterprise-attack
x_mitre_is_subtechnique: no
x_mitre_modified_by_ref: identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5
x_mitre_platforms: ESXi
IaaS
Linux
macOS
Windows
x_mitre_version: 1.5
x_mitre_impact_type: Availability