ransomware
Kraken ransomware benchmarks systems for optimal encryption choice
The Kraken ransomware, which targets Windows, Linux/VMware ESXi systems, is testing machines to check how fast it can encrypt data without overloading them. According to Cisco Talos researchers, Kraken’s feature is a rare capability that uses temporary files to choose between full and partial data encryption. The Kraken ransomware emerged at the begining of the […]
CISA warns of Akira ransomware Linux encryptor targeting Nutanix VMs
US government agencies are warning that the Akira ransomware operation has been spotted encrypting Nutanix AHV virtual machines in attacks. An updated joint advisory from CISA, the FBI, the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and several international partners alerts that Akira ransomware has expanded its […]
Synnovis notifies of data breach after 2024 ransomware attack
Synnovis, a leading UK pathology services provider, is notifying healthcare providers that a data breach occurred following a ransomware attack in June 2024, which resulted in the theft of some patients’ data. Founded in 2021, Synnovis is a partnership between international medical diagnostics provider SYNLAB, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It […]
Yanluowang initial access broker pleaded guilty to ransomware attacks
A Russian national will plead guilty to acting as an initial access broker (IAB) for Yanluowang ransomware attacks that targeted at least eight U.S. companies between July 2021 and November 2022. According to a plea agreement signed by the defendant on October 29, first spotted by Court Watch editor Seamus Hughes, Aleksey Olegovich Volkov (who used the “chubaka.kor” and “nets” aliases) […]
AI-Slop ransomware test sneaks on to VS Code marketplace
A malicious extension with basic ransomware capabilities seemingly created with the help of AI, has been published on Microsoft’s official VS Code marketplace. Named susvsex and published by ‘suspublisher18,’ the extension’s malicious functionality is openly advertised in its description. Secure Annex researcher John Tuckner discovered susvsex and says that it is the product of “vibe coding” and is far from sophisticated. Despite […]
How a ransomware gang encrypted Nevada government’s systems
The State of Nevada has published an after-action report detailing how hackers breached its systems to deploy ransomware in August, and the actions taken to recover from the attack. The document is one of the few completely transparent technical report from a federal government in the U.S. on a cybersecurity incident, describing all the steps […]
Gootloader malware is back with new tricks after 7-month break
The Gootloader malware loader operation has returned after a 7-month absence and is once again performing SEO poisoning to promote fake websites that distribute the malware. Gootloader is a JavaScript-based malware loader spread through compromised or attacker-controlled websites, used to trick users into downloading malicious documents. The websites are promoted in search engines either via […]
Apache OpenOffice disputes data breach claims by ransomware gang
The Apache Software Foundation disputes claims that its OpenOffice project suffered an Akira ransomware attack, after the threat actors claimed to have stolen 23 GB of corporate documents. Apache OpenOffice is a free, open-source office suite that includes word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and database tools. It’s compatible with major file formats, such as Word […]
CISA: High-severity Linux flaw now exploited by ransomware gangs
CISA confirmed on Thursday that a high-severity privilege escalation flaw in the Linux kernel is now being exploited in ransomware attacks. While the vulnerability (tracked as CVE-2024-1086) was disclosed on January 31, 2024, as a use-after-free weakness in the netfilter: nf_tables kernel component and was fixed via a commit submitted in January 2024, it was first introduced […]
Ukrainian extradited from Ireland on Conti ransomware charges
A Ukrainian national believed to be a member of the Conti ransomware operation has been extradited to the United States and faces charges that could get him 25 years in prison. 43-year-old Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko allegedly controlled data stolen from many of Conti victims and was involved in sending ransom notes as part of the […]