Snocry

Category: ransomware · Aliases: Ransomware.Snocry, Win32/Snocry, Trojan-Ransom.Snocry · Sample count (EMBER 2018): 1 · Enrichment: insufficient_information · Updated: 2026-07-01T16:23:56Z

Category: RansomwareActor: Unknown / CybercriminalIndustry: Global / OpportunisticMotivation: Opportunistic

Overview

Executive Summary

Snocry is a destructive ransomware family designed to extort financial payment from victims by encrypting their critical files and demanding a cryptocurrency ransom. It targets Windows operating systems and leverages strong encryption algorithms to ensure that data recovery is virtually impossible without the attacker's proprietary decryption key.

Technical Execution and Encryption Process

Snocry typically infiltrates networks via malicious spam (malspam) campaigns containing exploit kits or through the exploitation of unsecured Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. Once executed on a target machine, Snocry performs a rapid, automated attack sequence:

Defense Evasion: The ransomware attempts to terminate security software, stop backup services, and disable database processes to ensure files are unlocked and available for encryption.
Shadow Copy Destruction: To thwart native Windows recovery methods, Snocry executes commands (e.g., `vssadmin.exe delete shadows /all /quiet`) to systematically destroy local Volume Shadow Copies.
Data Encryption: Snocry utilizes robust symmetric encryption (such as AES) to encrypt a wide array of document, image, and database file types. The encrypted files are appended with a specific `.snocry` (or similar variant) extension.
Extortion: A ransom note is dropped onto the desktop and in affected directories, providing instructions on how to access a Tor-based payment portal to purchase the decryption tool with Bitcoin.

Threat Impact

A Snocry infection results in a catastrophic denial of access to critical business data. Without secure, offline backups, organizations face massive operational downtime, severe financial loss, and reputational damage. Paying the ransom funds criminal enterprises and offers no guarantee of successful data recovery.

Defense and Resilience Strategies

Offline, Immutable Backups: The only reliable defense against Snocry is a robust 3-2-1 backup strategy, ensuring that at least one copy of critical data is stored offline and is immutable.
RDP Security: Secure all remote access points. RDP must be placed behind a VPN, secured with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and restricted via strict IP whitelisting.
Behavioral EDR: Deploy EDR solutions tuned to immediately block processes attempting mass file modifications or the unauthorized deletion of volume shadow copies.

Known aliases

Threat reports may refer to this family under multiple names:

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

This family has been observed using the following ATT&CK techniques: T1486 T1490 T1078 T1562.001

Generated Detections (Boilerplate)

These YARA and Sigma rules are auto-generated based on the family name and aliases. They must be heavily tuned before deployment in a production environment.

YARA Rule

rule MALWARE_WIN_SNOCRY {
    meta:
        description = "Detects Snocry (ransomware)"
        author = "SystemHelpdesk Boilerplate Generator"
        date = "2026-07-06"
    strings:
        $s1 = "snocry" ascii wide nocase
        $s2 = "ransomware.snocry" ascii wide nocase
        $s3 = "win32/snocry" ascii wide nocase
        $s4 = "trojan-ransom.snocry" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        uint16(0) == 0x5a4d and any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: Suspicious Snocry Activity
id: 7491b8746ed1057e5a9ae8f96794ec2f
status: experimental
description: Detects generic indicators of the snocry malware family.
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Image|endswith:
            - '\cmd.exe'
            - '\powershell.exe'
        CommandLine|contains:
            - "*snocry*"
            - "*ransomware.snocry*"
            - "*win32/snocry*"
            - "*trojan-ransom.snocry*"
    condition: selection
level: medium

References & External Analysis

Search "snocry" on VirusTotal (External Analysis)

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I remove the Snocry Ransomware from Windows?

Manual removal of Snocry is highly discouraged as it may leave persistence mechanisms intact. We recommend disconnecting the device from the internet and utilizing a professional incident response service or enterprise-grade EDR software to conduct a full forensic sweep.

Is Snocry a virus or a Ransomware?

Snocry is classified as a Ransomware. Unlike traditional viruses that infect files, modern malware like Snocry typically operates as a standalone payload designed to compromise systems, steal data, or deploy secondary stage implants.

What are the main symptoms of a Snocry infection?

Symptoms of Snocry can include unexpected system slowness, unauthorized outbound network traffic to unknown IP addresses, disabled security software, and suspicious background processes running from AppData or Temp directories.

Related Families (Category: ransomware)

Explore other malware families in the same category:

Protect Your Network Against Ransomwares

Want to prevent Snocry and similar threats from compromising your organization? Read our comprehensive defensive guide: Ransomware Protection Guide.

Need help with an active incident? Published by the SystemHelpdesk team.

Machine-readable

Get this profile as JSON: https://jordanricky1604-ship-it.github.io/malware-families-catalog/api/snocry.json

Ecosystem & Interactive Environments

This profile is part of the Malware Families Catalog, a public dataset of 2,899 malware families. The catalog is also published across our ecosystem: Hugging Face, Kaggle, Zenodo, Replit, StackBlitz, CodeSandbox, and CodePen.