CrySiS ransomware-affected file
File type: Ransomware encrypted file
A .dharma file is usually a file encrypted and renamed by a variant of CrySiS ransomware, also known as Dharma.
It is not a normal document format. The contents remain inaccessible until the matching ransomware encryption is decrypted.
File type category:
Ransomware encrypted file
Date updated: October 14, 2026
The .dharma file extension is associated with the Dharma strain of CrySiS ransomware. This ransomware targets Windows systems and encrypts files, then changes their names by appending a suffix such as .[email_address].DHARMA.
The encrypted file contains the original file's data in ransomware-encrypted form. Changing or removing the suffix does not restore the contents, and the file cannot be used normally without decryption.
Dharma has appeared in multiple variants, so a decryptor that works for one variant may not work for another. There is no single guaranteed decryptor for every file with the .dharma extension.
A .dharma file cannot be opened with a regular Windows application because its contents are encrypted. There is no known decryptor for .dharma files available.
If no compatible decryptor is available, the practical recovery options are a clean backup or another trusted copy of the original file. Do not rename the file and expect that to decrypt it.
There is no meaningful way to convert a .dharma file while it remains encrypted. Decrypt the file first; after recovery, the original file can be opened and converted using software that supports its original format.
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