CampaignHuman reviewed 2026-08-26 · CISA · NVD · Microsoft

WannaCry Global Ransomworm

May 2017 worldwide ransomware outbreak (WannaCry) that spread automatically via EternalBlue (CVE-2017-0144), disrupting hospitals, logistics and enterprises in 150+ countries.

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WannaCry (May 2017) was an SMB-based ransomware worm exploiting EternalBlue (CVE-2017-0144) that self-propagated across unpatched Windows systems, encrypting files and demanding ransom in 150+ countries within days.

Definition

Self-propagating ransomware (WannaCry) using leaked NSA SMB exploits (EternalBlue) to move laterally without user interaction; encrypted files with .WNCRY extension and displayed ransom notes in 27 languages.

Why It Matters / Impact

Disrupted the U.K. National Health Service, FedEx, Renault and hundreds of thousands of systems; abrupt global halt after a kill-switch domain registration slowed propagation.

Current Status

  • Review status: published
  • Last updated: 2026-08-26
  • Evidence: 3 source(s) · 2 CVE(s) linked
  • Confidence: 95%

Related CVEs

Evidence

Related Malware

Timeline

  1. 2017-03-14 — MS17-010 patch released
  2. 2017-05-12 — WannaCry outbreak begins worldwide
  3. 2017-05-15 — Kill-switch mitigation slows spread

Sources

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  1. Question — what do you need to know about WannaCry Global Ransomworm?
  2. Evidence — assertions mapped to verifiable references.
  3. Timeline — events in chronological order.
  4. Related Entities — CVE, threat actor, campaign, malware links.
  5. Sources — NVD, CISA KEV, MITRE ATT&CK, vendor advisories.
  6. Notes — your own observations and working hypotheses.

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