Disclosure context

About m3rx

Based on the limited publicly available information, m3rx is an emerging ransomware group first observed in April 2026 with a relatively small victim count of eight organizations, suggesting they are either a newly formed operation or a smaller-scale criminal enterprise focused on financial gain. The group's origin and affiliations remain unclear, with no documented evidence from major security vendors or law enforcement agencies regarding their geographical base, operational structure, or whether they operate as an independent cell or as part of a larger ransomware-as-a-service ecosystem. Their attack methodology and specific technical capabilities have not been extensively documented by established threat intelligence sources, though their targeting pattern indicates a preference for English-speaking nations including Great Britain, Australia, and the United States, as well as operations in Switzerland and Italy, with victims spanning consumer services, business services, technology, and healthcare sectors. No major campaigns, high-profile victims, or significant ransoms have been publicly reported by CISA, FBI, Mandiant, or other reputable security researchers, likely due to the group's recent emergence and limited scope of operations. Given their recent first observation date and small victim count, m3rx appears to be in early operational stages with their current activity status and long-term viability remaining uncertain. The group has been linked to 19 public disclosures across our corpus. First observed on a leak site on April 29, 2026; most recent post May 17, 2026. The operation is currently active.

Timeline of this disclosure

May 3, 2026manateeair.com listed by m3rxon the group's public leak site

Sector and geography

This disclosure adds to ransomware activity in the Transportation/Logistics sector, which has 847 disclosures indexed across all operators we track. Geographically, manateeair.com is reported in US, a country with 2,713 ransomware disclosures in our corpus.

How we know this. Darkfield monitors public ransomware leak sites continuously, archiving every new disclosure and the data later released against the victim. Each entry on this page is sourced from the operator's own publication and cross-checked against complementary OSINT feeds (RansomLook, ransomware.live, RansomWatch). We do not collect or host stolen data — only the metadata, timestamps and screenshots needed to make the public disclosure searchable and accountable. Records here are corrected when the original post is edited, retracted, or merged with another disclosure.

Ransomware victim disclosure

← All victims

manateeair.com

Claimed by m3rx · listed 18 days ago

17d

Age

since listed · data leaked

Status timeline

Listed
May 3, 2026
Data leaked

At a glance

Group: m3rx
Status: Data leaked
Country: US
Sector: Transportation/Logistics
Listed on leak site: May 3, 2026

About the victim

AI dossier — public-source company profile

Manatee Air Heating & Cooling Inc is a family-owned, locally operated HVAC service company serving Manatee and Sarasota Counties in Florida since 1988. The company provides heating and air conditioning installation, repair, and maintenance for residential and commercial customers, with certified, licensed, and insured technicians. It offers emergency services, financing options, a 1-year labor warranty, and is recognized in the top 10% on BuildZoom.

Industry: HVAC Services (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning)
Address: Bradenton, FL (Manatee and Sarasota Counties, Florida, US)
Founded: 1988

Attack summary

Severity: medium — Data is marked as published, indicating confirmed exfiltration and disclosure rather than a mere listing; however, no specific data types, volume, or proof files are described, and there is no evidence of regulated or large-scale PII, medical, or financial data, so severity does not rise to high or critical.

The ransomware group m3rx claims to have stolen data from Manatee Air Heating & Cooling Inc, with the disclosure status listed as data_published; however, the leak post does not specify the type or volume of data exfiltrated, and the 'Stolen:' field in the post is blank.

medium

What the group claims

+1 9417582323 . Manatee Air Heating & Cooling Inc has been providing expert HVAC services in Manatee and Sarasota counties since 1988, specializing in heating and air conditioning installation, repair, and maintenance. The company prides itself on its commitment to quality work, customer satisfaction, and competitive pricing, offering financing options and a 1-year labor warranty. With a team of certified, licensed, and insured technicians, they ensure fast turnaround times and emergency services to keep homes and businesses comfortable year-round. Manatee Air Heating & Cooling is recognized for its reliability and community-focused approach, making it a trusted choice for HVAC solutions. Stolen: --

The leak post

captured from the group's site

If you are interested in this data, please contact our support.Tox: 9A1217BEDA4AB77052A25D17CB6FFB34AFA2BE462E607F2FD8E1DF1DDD4CA16A64E18B1A0BF2

Sources

Victim sitemanateeair.com
Leak posthttp://4k6plf4h2cm2nco6ae3inrsxnmqgl6lllmwefydhnlcq4tuhwbj4qpad.onion

Source

Indexed 18 days ago

This page surfaces a public ransomware disclosure indexed by Darkfield. Original posts come from the operator's own leak site; we cross-check against ransomware.live, RansomLook and RansomWatch where applicable. Share this URL freely.