Meow Ransomware

Description Summary

Conti-leak variant; decryptor released Mar 2023 for the original; now a data-theft brand (Meow Leaks) that tapered off by Oct 2025.

Threat Actor

Built on leaked Conti code; original strain decryptable; current activity is data theft/extortion.

Technical Indicators

Encryption Extension
.meow
Encryption Algorithm
ChaCha20 + RSA-4096
Ransom Note Name
Contact via email / Telegram (meow2022, meow123)
Targeted Industries
Cross-sector (per leak-site victim telemetry)
First Seen
August 2022 (Conti-leak variant)
Last Seen
Declining (tapered off by Oct 2025)
Geographical Location
Global / not publicly profiled

MITRE ATT&CK Matrix

Tactic TTP Technique Name
Impact x 2 T1486 Data Encrypted for Impact
T1490 Inhibit System Recovery
Exfiltration x 1 T1567 Exfiltration Over Web Service (leak site)
Initial Access x 2 T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application
T1078 Valid Accounts