DeadLock Ransomware: Smart Contracts for Malicious Purposes


DeadLock is a ransomware family discovered in July 2025. It is notable for not being associated with any known affiliate programs and for lacking a Data Leak Site (DLS). This, combined with the limited number of reported victims, has resulted in low exposure for the group. However, Group-IB specialists have discovered an interesting use of Polygon smart contracts for proxy server address rotation or distribution.

This finding warrants public attention, especially since the abuse of this specific blockchain for malicious purposes has not been widely reported. In addition, the recent discovery of similar techniques show that the abuse of smart contracts for malicious purposes could become an emerging trend.

Read more…
Source: Group IB


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Indian Cyber Force Claims Responsibility for Cyber Attacks on Canadian Websites

    September 28, 2023

    A group of pro-India hackers on Wednesday claimed responsibility for bringing down the website of the Canadian Armed Forces for two hours. Following a diplomatic winter between India and Canada, the group, which identifies itself as Indian Cyber Force, warned of launching cyber attacks on Canadian websites on September 21. In the last few days, the ...

  • Edinburgh Trams website offline following ‘cyber- attack’

    September 28, 2023

    An Edinburgh transport website has been taken offline after a “cyber attack”. Edinburgh Trams said on Thursday it was the victim of a “cyber crime” which has affected its website. Threat intelligence platform FalconFeeds said that international ransomware group NoName was behind the attack, and also targeted Swiftcard and Mersey Ferries Limited. Read more… Source: STV News  

  • Russia: Leonardo’s air booking system resumes after cyberattack

    September 28, 2023

    Russian state conglomerate Rostec said on Thursday it had restored normal operations at its Leonardo air booking system following what it called a “massive cyberattack from abroad”. “The cyberattack has been successfully repelled,” Rostec said in a statement. It described the incident as a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attack”, in which the attacker floods a server with ...

  • QR codes in email phishing

    September 27, 2023

    QR codes are everywhere: you can see them on posters and leaflets, ATM screens, price tags and merchandise, historical buildings and monuments. People use them to share information, promote various online resources, pay for their goodies, and pass verification. And yet you don’t see lots of QR codes in email: users often read messages on ...

  • 10 new vulnerabilities disclosed by Talos, including use-after-free issue in Google Chrome

    September 27, 2023

    Cisco Talos disclosed 10 vulnerabilities over the past two weeks affecting a range of software, including the popular Google Chrome web browser. Attackers could exploit these vulnerabilities to carry out a variety of attacks, in some cases gaining the ability to execute remote code on the targeted machine. Read more… Source: Cisco Talos  

  • Czechia: University of Defence victim of cyber-attack

    September 27, 2023

    Czechia’s University of Defence was the victim of a cyber-attack, with hackers evidently stealing data from the institution’s rector, iRozhlas.cz reported on Wednesday. The news website said the Municipal State Prosecutor’s Office in Brno was looking into the matter. A spokesperson for the National Cyber and Information Security Agency said it would not comment on the ...