New ‘Mistic’ RAT Opens Door to Several Ransomware Families

Qilin ransomware was first observed in July of 2022. Qilin Ransomware is written in Golang and supports multiple encryption modes; all of which are controlled by the operator. Qilin actors practice double extortion – demanding payment for a decryptor, as well as for the non-release of stolen data.

The Akira ransomware group is said to have emerged in March 2023, and there's much speculation about its ties to the former CONTI ransomware group.<br> <br> It's worth noting that with the end of CONTI's operation, several affiliates migrated to independent campaigns such as Royal, BlackBasta, and others.<br> <br> According to some reports, Akira affiliates also work with other ransomware operations, such as Snatch and BlackByte, as an open directory of tools used by an Akira operator was identified, which also had connections to the Snatch ransomware.<br> <br> The first version of the Akira ransomware was written in C++ and appended files with the '.akira' extension, creating a ransom note named 'akira_readme.txt,' partially based on the Conti V2 source code. However, on June 29, 2023, a decryptor for this version was reportedly released by Avast.<br> <br> Subsequently, a version was released that fixed the decryption flaw on July 2, 2023. Since then, the new version is said to be written in Rust, this time called 'megazord.exe,' and it changes the extension to '.powerranges' for encrypted files.<br> <br> Most of Akira's initial access vectors use brute-force attempts on Cisco VPN devices (which use single-factor authentication only).<br> Additionally, exploitation of CVEs: CVE-2019-6693 and CVE-2022-40684 for initial access has been identified.<BR>Source: https://github.com/crocodyli/ThreatActors-TTPs

"Black Basta" is a new ransomware strain discovered during April 2022 - looks in dev since at least early February 2022 - and due to their ability to quickly amass new victims and the style of their negotiations, this is likely not a new operation but rather a rebrand of a previous top-tier ransomware gang that brought along their affiliates.

The 8base Ransomware group made its first appearance in early March 2022, remaining somewhat quiet after the attacks. This group operates like other ransomware actors, engaging in double extortion. <BR> However, in mid-May and June 2023, the ransomware operation saw a spike in activity against organizations from various sectors, listing 131 organizations in just 3 months.<BR> The 8base data leak site was created and made available in March 2023, claiming honesty and simplicity in its discourse.<BR> VMware published a report on 8base, drawing some similarities with the ransomware group `RansomHouse`, pointing out resemblances such as the website used by 8base and the ransom notes presented in its attacks.<BR> Interestingly, the 8base Ransomware group does not have its own ransomware developed by the group. Instead, the actors took advantage of other leaked ransomware builders to customize the ransom note and present it to the victim organization as 8base's operation.<BR>Source : https://github.com/crocodyli/ThreatActors-TTPs