Ransomware Research

About Ztax

Ztax

Ztax was first discovered in October 2024 in enterprise cloud environments.

Name Ztax
First Seen October 2024

Genealogy

To better understand Ztax, we can trace it’s origins. Below is a snapshot of Ztax’s genealogy.

Dharma » Ztax
Targeting

Behavior of Ztax

Ztax is known to target specific file types. Below are all known file types that Ztax is known to infect.

In some cases, ransomware will update the modified date, when it encrypts files. Ztax updates the last modified date of the file it targets.

Learn More

Characteristics of Ztax

Here are some of the unique characteristics that are helpful to know about Ztax.

Suffixes

Some ransomware will change or append a suffix to the end of the file after they are encrypted, including changing the extension of a file. Here are some of the possible suffixes that Ztax ransomware is known to change.

Suffixes.Ztax

Ransomware Notes

Not all ransomware leaves a note. However, some ransomware leaves the infected party instructions on what the user should do to get rid of the ransomware, or satisfy the ransom. This often involves transferring money, often bitcoin or another cryptocurrency to a designated wallet.

Below are the type(s) of notes, content, and typical locations where Elastio has found ransom notes from Ztax.

Typefile
File Namemanual.txt
LocationRootDiscs, Desktop
Typefile
File NameInfo.hta
LocationStartUp, Roaming

Executables

These are the names of the executables that contain the undetonated ransomware payload for Ztax.

Executablespayload.exe

External Pages

Ransomware often links to external pages such as payment pages, telegram contacts, etc. Below are some of the URLs Elastio has found to be associated with Ztax.

External Pages
  • mailto:taxz@cock.li
  • mailto:taxz@cyberfear.com
How Elastio can help

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Elastio is a cloud-native data resilience platform on AWS, providing robust security and assuring the recoverability of critical data in cloud environments.


Elastio protects data from ransomware and malware evading perimeter defenses and mitigates downtime, data loss, and reputational harm for businesses.