All news with #ransomware tag

HybridPetya Bootkit Bypasses Secure Boot to Encrypt MFT

🔒 Researchers at ESET have identified HybridPetya, a bootkit-style ransomware that mimics Petya/NotPetya by targeting the NTFS Master File Table (MFT). Unlike destructive predecessors, HybridPetya functions as true ransomware and can reconstruct victim decryption keys from an installation key, with an analyzed sample demanding €850 in Bitcoin. The threat bypasses UEFI Secure Boot by exploiting CVE-2024-7344 in a Microsoft-signed EFI component to load an unsigned cloak.dat, replace the Windows bootloader, crash the system to force a reboot, and run prior to OS startup to encrypt the disk with Salsa20 while displaying a fake CHKDSK message.

Senator Probes Microsoft over Continued RC4 Use in Kerberos

🔒 Senator Ron Wyden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Microsoft for its continued use of the RC4 encryption algorithm. The letter highlights a technique called Kerberoasting, which exploits Kerberos ticket encryption to extract service account credentials. The complaint raises concerns about lingering support for weak ciphers in enterprise authentication.

HybridPetya Resembles NotPetya and Adds UEFI Bootkit

🔒 ESET Research identified HybridPetya on VirusTotal in February 2025, with filenames implying a connection to the destructive NotPetya outbreak. The strain encrypts the NTFS Master File Table using Salsa20 and deploys a UEFI bootkit on the EFI System Partition to ensure firmware‑level persistence. One variant exploits CVE-2024-7344 to bypass UEFI Secure Boot via a signed but vulnerable Microsoft component, yet retains a working decryption mechanism for victims. Analysts found no signs of self-propagation like NotPetya, but the combination of pre-boot compromise and MFT encryption raises significant concern.

Experts Say Scattered Spider 'Retirement' Is a Smokescreen

🕵️ Scattered Spider and roughly 15 affiliated ransomware and cybercrime groups posted a joint manifesto on BreachForums claiming to 'go dark' after recent arrests. Experts point to inconsistencies — an unlikely coalition, rapid timing, and no observed money‑movement — and call the announcement a likely smokescreen. They warn organizations not to lower their guard and to assume tactics and infrastructure remain active, taking immediate hardening steps.

Yurei Ransomware Uses Open-Source Tools for Extortion

🔒 A newly identified ransomware group called Yurei is conducting double-extortion attacks, encrypting files and exfiltrating sensitive data before demanding payment. First observed by Check Point Research on September 5, Yurei has targeted organizations in Sri Lanka, India and Nigeria and may have ties to Morocco. Built largely from open-source Prince-Ransomware code, the malware encrypts each file using per-file ChaCha20 keys protected with ECIES, appending a .Yurei extension, and attempts to provide a ransom page and .onion contact. Although the early variant omits some operational features (for example it fails to set a ransom wallpaper and does not remove Windows shadow copies), the group still threatens publication of stolen data to pressure victims.

Weekly Recap: Bootkit Malware, AI Attacks, Supply Chain

⚡ This weekly recap synthesizes critical cyber events and trends, highlighting a new bootkit, AI-enhanced attack tooling, and persistent supply-chain intrusions. HybridPetya samples demonstrate techniques to bypass UEFI Secure Boot, enabling bootkit persistence that can evade AV and survive OS reinstalls. The briefing also covers vendor emergency patches, novel Android RATs, fileless frameworks, and practical patch priorities for defenders.

Phishing Campaigns Deploy RMM Tools via Multiple Lures

🔒 New phishing campaigns are delivering remote monitoring and management (RMM) software by using multiple realistic lures, security firms warn. Attackers spoof browser updates, meeting software installers, party e-invites and government forms to trick victims into running installers for ITarian (Comodo), Atera, PDQ, SimpleHelp and ScreenConnect. Some campaigns host payloads on trusted services such as Cloudflare R2 and may install multiple RMM tools in quick succession. Analysts caution RMM compromise can lead to ransomware and data theft and recommend endpoint detection, approved-tool enforcement and enhanced network controls such as browser isolation.

HybridPetya UEFI Bootkit Bypasses Secure Boot on PCs

🔒 HybridPetya is a newly identified UEFI bootkit that can bypass Secure Boot by exploiting CVE-2024-7344, enabling installation of malicious components into the EFI System Partition. ESET located a sample on VirusTotal and describes it as possibly a proof-of-concept, research project, or an early-stage criminal tool. The bootkit replaces the Windows bootloader, forces reboots to execute at startup, encrypts MFT clusters with Salsa20 while showing a fake CHKDSK, and then presents a ransom screen demanding a Bitcoin payment and a 32-character key to restore the bootloader and decrypt data.

Three Critical Needs for Responding to a Cyberattack

🛡️ When a cyberattack strikes, three capabilities matter most: clarity, control and a dependable lifeline. Real-time visibility and a unified view enable quick detection of anomalies and identification of the blast radius. Rapid containment—isolating endpoints, revoking credentials and enforcing policies—prevents lateral spread. Finally, immutable backups, granular restores and orchestrated disaster recovery ensure fast, trusted restoration of operations.

Yurei Ransomware: Rapid Rise from Open-Source Code

🛡️ Yurei ransomware emerged on September 5, quickly claiming victims in Sri Lanka, India and Nigeria within its first week. The payload is largely copied from the open-source Prince-Ransomware project, illustrating how easily attackers can deploy commodity code. Although technical flaws allow partial recovery, Yurei focuses on data theft and public exposure to coerce payments. Early indicators point to links with Morocco, signaling a geographically shifting threat landscape.

HybridPetya Bootkit Bypasses Secure Boot on UEFI Systems

🔒 ESET researchers identified HybridPetya, a new ransomware strain that blends Petya-style MFT encryption with a UEFI bootkit that can bypass Secure Boot by abusing a patched flaw (CVE-2024-7344) in the Howyar Reloader EFI component. The malware installs a malicious EFI application, uses a three-state flag to track encryption and ransom status, displays a fake CHKDSK screen, and demands $1,000 in Bitcoin. Select variants load a cloak.dat payload into reloader.efi to evade integrity checks; Microsoft revoked the vulnerable binary via dbx updates. ESET found no evidence of widespread active abuse but warned Secure Boot bypasses are increasingly common and urged prompt patching and boot integrity monitoring.

HybridPetya: Petya-like Ransomware Targets UEFI Secure Boot

🛡️ ESET researchers identified HybridPetya in late July 2025 after suspicious samples were uploaded to VirusTotal. The malware resembles Petya/NotPetya and encrypts the NTFS Master File Table (MFT), while also capable of installing a malicious EFI application on the EFI System Partition to persist on UEFI systems. One analyzed variant exploits CVE-2024-7344 using a crafted cloak.dat to bypass UEFI Secure Boot on outdated systems. ESET telemetry shows no evidence of active, widespread deployments.

Akira Ransomware Exploits Unpatched SonicWall VPNs

🚨 The Australian Cyber Security Centre has observed increased exploitation of SonicWall SSL VPNs by the Akira ransomware group, leveraging CVE-2024-40766. The vulnerability, patched over a year ago, affects SonicWall Gen 5 and Gen 6 appliances and Gen 7 devices running SonicOS 7.0.1-5035 and earlier. Organisations remain at risk if they did not both install firmware updates and immediately rotate administrative credentials after migration. Security vendors Rapid7 and Recorded Future report automated intrusions tied to this issue; operators are advised to patch, reset passwords, restrict VPN access and enable robust MFA.

Senator Wyden Urges FTC Probe of Microsoft's Security

🚨 U.S. Senator Ron Wyden requested that the FTC investigate Microsoft for what he describes as “gross cybersecurity negligence” after product weaknesses tied to Kerberos and legacy RC4 usage contributed to ransomware incidents, including the May 2024 Ascension Health breach that exposed data for 5.6 million patients. Wyden says his office alerted Microsoft in July 2024 and urged setting stronger ciphers like AES as defaults; he criticized an October Microsoft blog as too technical to warn corporate decision-makers. Microsoft replied that RC4 accounts for under 0.1% of traffic, that full removal risks breaking legacy systems, and that deprecation is on its roadmap.

Panama Finance Ministry Reports Possible Ransomware Breach

🔒 The Panama Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) says a workstation may have been infected with malicious software; established security protocols were activated immediately and the incident has been contained. The ministry asserted that central systems and platforms remain unaffected, and that personal and institutional data are protected while preventive measures were reinforced. However, the INC Ransom group added MEF to its leak site on September 5, claiming to have stolen more than 1.5 TB of emails, financial records and budgeting files; MEF had not responded to requests for comment by publication.

Akira Ransomware Reuses Critical SonicWall SSLVPN Bug

🔒 The Akira ransomware gang is actively exploiting CVE-2024-40766 to target unpatched SonicWall SSL VPN endpoints and gain unauthorized network access. SonicWall released a patch in August 2024 and warned that exposed credentials could allow attackers to configure MFA or TOTP and bypass protections. Administrators should apply the vendor update, rotate local SSLVPN passwords, enforce MFA, mitigate Default Group risks, and restrict Virtual Office Portal access.

Wyden Urges FTC Probe of Microsoft After Ascension Hack

🛡️ US Senator Ron Wyden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Microsoft following the 2024 ransomware attack on healthcare operator Ascension, which exposed data for 5.6 million patients after a contractor clicked a malicious Bing search result. Wyden says default Microsoft settings and support for the outdated RC4 standard enabled a Kerberoasting technique that granted administrative access. He notes Microsoft was warned in July 2024 and posted a blog in October announcing a planned update, but nearly a year later no update has been issued nor direct customer outreach made. The letter frames Microsoft’s control over default configurations as a systemic national security risk.

Senator Wyden Urges FTC Probe of Microsoft Ransomware Lapses

🔍 Senator Ron Wyden has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Microsoft for what he describes as "gross cybersecurity negligence" that he says facilitated ransomware attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure, including healthcare. Wyden's four-page letter to FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson cites the 2024 Ascension breach attributed to Black Basta and details an attack chain that began when a contractor clicked a malicious link after using Microsoft's Bing search. The senator highlights exploitation of insecure default Kerberos settings and legacy RC4 support enabling Kerberoasting, and criticizes Microsoft for not enforcing stronger defaults and minimum password requirements while noting the company's published mitigations and planned deprecations.

Senator Wyden Urges FTC Probe into Microsoft's Security

🚨 Senator Ron Wyden has asked the FTC to investigate Microsoft for what he calls "gross cybersecurity negligence," arguing insecure defaults enabled widespread ransomware attacks. He cites the February 2024 Ascension Health breach that exposed 5.6 million patient records and describes how a single click enabled lateral movement via Kerberoasting and lingering RC4 support. Wyden criticizes Microsoft for building a >$20 billion security business of add-on protections while leaving core products vulnerable and says promised fixes and plain-language guidance were inadequate. The letter warns this pattern poses national-security and industry-wide risks.

Akira Exploits SonicWall SSL VPN Flaw and LDAP Settings

🔒 Rapid7 and SonicWall report a surge in intrusions tied to the Akira ransomware group exploiting a year-old SSL VPN vulnerability, CVE-2024-40766 (CVSS 9.3), and LDAP misconfigurations that retained local passwords during migrations. Attackers are brute-forcing credentials, abusing SonicWall's Virtual Office defaults to enable mMFA/TOTP, and using loaders like Bumblebee to deploy AdaptixC2 and persistent tools. SonicWall urges rotating local accounts, enabling Botnet Filtering and Account Lockout, enforcing MFA, restricting Virtual Office access, and reviewing LDAP default groups.