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Technical analysis

Do not identify a ransomware family from a file extension alone

Extensions and ransom notes are leads. Attribution requires comparable samples, behavior and timelines, with an explained confidence level.

Tùng TEKPublished 2 min read

Updated: · Vietnam time (UTC+7)

Illustration of an analysis bench where multiple technical evidence sets are compared.
AI-generated illustration • Not evidentiary imagery of an incident.
Verified

References have been checked against the cited research. The article explains a method; it does not attribute an individual incident.

Post-incident filenames should be preserved but are not immutable malware signatures. Unit 42 recorded multiple extensions in its Mallox research, showing that naming can change even within one technical profile.

Conversely, a matching string can be copied. Ransom notes may be modified or reused. A single indicator can prematurely turn an initial hypothesis into a conclusion.

Evidence / published sources
  • Executable sample: hash, collection method, structure and controlled-environment analysis results.
  • Files before and after impact: size, structure, altered regions and metadata.
  • Behavior: processes, logins, network access, commands and configuration changes.
  • Timeline: correlate multiple time sources and state the timezone.
  • External sources: technical reports with clear samples, timing and methods.

Confirmed requires sufficiently strong, comparable technical evidence. Probable is a hypothesis supported by multiple indicators but missing decisive evidence. Unconfirmed applies to unverified leads. Unknown means no sufficiently reliable hypothesis can yet be formed.

Confidence must relate to a specific conclusion. A sourced family profile does not establish that every file with a related extension belongs to that family.

Technical assessment

Prioritize scoping affected systems and preserving evidence before debating a name. Even without family identification, responders can review accounts, assess backups and prepare a clean recovery environment.

TechnicalForensic
Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 — Mallox Ransomware2023 · Sample research and intrusion chain analysis by Unit 42.
MITRE ATT&CK — T1486: Data Encrypted for ImpactReference for encryption of data to cause disruption.

Each source's scope and date are recorded separately when available. A citation does not independently verify every assessment.

· Initial publication with sources and verification limits.

Corrections policy
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TUNGTEK · IT and data recovery. Focused on technical evidence, data integrity and the ability to resume operations.