Kasseika Ransomware Deploys BYOVD Attacks, Abuses PsExec and Exploits Martini Driver

In this blog, we detail our investigation of the Kasseika ransomware and the indicators we found suggesting that the actors behind it have acquired access to the source code of the notorious BlackMatter ransomware...

BlackCat Ransomware Raises Ante After FBI Disruption

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI disclosed today that it infiltrated the worlds second most prolific ransomware gang, a Russia-based criminal group known as ALPHV and BlackCat. The FBI said it seized the gangs darknet website, and released a decryption tool that hundreds of victim...

Improved BlackCat Ransomware Strikes with Lightning Speed and Stealthy Tactics

The threat actors behind BlackCat ransomware have come up with an improved variant that prioritizes speed and stealth in an attempt to bypass security guardrails and achieve their goals. The new version, dubbed Sphynx and announced in February 2023, packs a "number of updated capabilities that...

Improved BlackCat Ransomware Strikes with Lightning Speed and Stealthy Tactics

The threat actors behind BlackCat ransomware have come up with an improved variant that prioritizes speed and stealth in an attempt to bypass security guardrails and achieve their goals. The new version, dubbed Sphynx and announced in February 2023, packs a "number of updated capabilities that...

#StopRansomware: LockBit 3.0

Actions to take today to mitigate cyber threats from ransomware: 1. Prioritize remediating known exploited vulnerabilities. 2. Train users to recognize and report phishing attempts. 3. Enable and enforce phishing-resistant multifactor authentication...

Ransomware review: September 2022

Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence builds a monthly picture of ransomware activity by monitoring the information published by ransomware gangs on their Dark Web leak sites. This information represents victims who were successfully attacked but opted not to pay a ransom. This article is also availab...

BlackCat Ransomware Attackers Spotted Fine-Tuning Their Malware Arsenal

The BlackCat ransomware crew has been spotted fine-tuning their malware arsenal to fly under the radar and expand their reach. "Among some of the more notable developments has been the use of a new version of the Exmatter data exfiltration tool, and the use of Eamfo, information-stealing malware...

Threat Roundup for August 26 to September 2

Today, Talos is publishing a glimpse into the most prevalent threats we've observed between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. As with previous roundups, this post isn't meant to be an in-depth analysis. Instead, this post will summarize the threats we've observed by highlighting key behavioral characteristics...

Ransomware review: July 2022

Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence builds a monthly picture of ransomware activity by monitoring the information published by ransomware gangs on their Dark Web leak sites. This information represents victims who were successfully attacked but opted not to pay a ransom. In July, LockBit maintained...

Experts Find Similarities Between New LockBit 3.0 and BlackMatter Ransomware

Cybersecurity researchers have reiterated similarities between the latest iteration of the LockBit ransomware and BlackMatter, a rebranded variant of the DarkSide ransomware strain that closed shop in November 2021. The new version of LockBit, called LockBit 3.0 aka LockBit Black, was released in...

LockBit Ransomware Group Augments Its Latest Variant, LockBit 3.0, With BlackMatter Capabilities

In June 2022, LockBit revealed version 3.0 of its ransomware. In this blog entry, we discuss the findings from our own technical analysis of this variant and its behaviors, many of which are similar to those of the BlackMatter ransomware...

FBI Warns of BlackCat Ransomware That Breached Over 60 Organisations Worldwide

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI is sounding the alarm on the BlackCat ransomware-as-a-service RaaS, which it said victimized at least 60 entities worldwide between as of March 2022 since its emergence last November. Also called ALPHV and Noberus, the malware is notable for being the...

Dismantling ZLoader: How malicious ads led to disabled security tools and ransomware

As announced today, Microsoft took action against the ZLoader trojan by working with telecommunications providers around the world to disrupt key ZLoader infrastructure. We used our research into this threat to enrich our protection technologies and ensure this infrastructure could no longer be...

Ransomware: March 2022 review

The Malwarebytes Threat Intelligence team continuously monitors the threat landscape to stay on top of existing and emerging attacks. In this March 2022 ransomware review, we go over some of the most successful ransomware incidents based on both open source and dark web intelligence. The March da...

Researchers Connect BlackCat Ransomware with Past BlackMatter Malware Activity

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered further links between BlackCat aka ALPHV and BlackMatter ransomware families, the former of which emerged as a replacement following international scrutiny last year. "At least some members of the new BlackCat group have links to the BlackMatter group,...

A Bad Luck BlackCat

In early December 2021, a new ransomware actor started advertising its services on a Russian underground forum. They presented themselves as ALPHV, a new generation Ransomware-as-a-Service RaaS group. Shortly afterwards, they dialed up their activity, infecting numerous corporate victims around t...

From BlackMatter to BlackCat: Analyzing two attacks from one affiliate

By Tiago Pereira with contributions from Caitlin Huey. BlackCat is a recent and growing ransomware-as-a-service RaaS group that targeted several organizations worldwide over the past few months.There are rumors of a relationship between BlackCat and the BlackMatter/DarkSide ransomware groups,...

Trellix Global Defenders: BlackCat Ransomware as a Service - The Cat is certainly out of the bag!

Trellix Global Defenders: BlackCat Ransomware as a Service - The Cat is certainly out of the bag! By Trellix · February 8, 2022 Research Contributions and Analysis: Filippo Sitzia This story was written by Arnab Roy Threat Summary Blackcat also known as ALPHV/Noberus is a Ransomware as a Service...

New Ransomware Variants Flourish Amid Law Enforcement Actions

Ransomware groups continue to evolve their tactics and techniques to deploy file-encrypting malware on compromised systems, notwithstanding law enforcement's disruptive actions against the cybercrime gangs to prevent them from victimizing additional companies. "Be it due to law enforcement,...

BlackCat: A New Rust-based Ransomware Malware Spotted in the Wild

Details have emerged about what's the first Rust-language-based ransomware strain spotted in the wild that has already amassed "some victims from different countries" since its launch last month. The ransomware, dubbed BlackCat, was disclosed by MalwareHunterTeam. "Victims can pay with Bitcoin or...