Since March 2023, Akira ransomware has impacted a wide range of businesses and critical infrastructure entities in North America, Europe, and Australia. In April 2023, following an initial focus on Windows systems, Akira threat actors deployed a Linux variant targeting VMware ESXi virtual machines.
As of January 1, 2024, the ransomware group has impacted over 250 organizations and claimed approximately $42 million USD in ransomware proceeds. Early versions of the Akira ransomware variant were written in C++ and encrypted files with a .akira extension; however, beginning in August 2023, some Akira attacks began deploying Megazord, using Rust-based code which encrypts files with a .powerranges extension.
Read more…
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation Cyber Division
Related:
- Andariel evolves to target South Korea with ransomware
June 15, 2021
In April 2021, we observed a suspicious Word document with a Korean file name and decoy. It revealed a novel infection scheme and an unfamiliar payload. While we were doing our research into these findings, Malwarebytes published a nice report with technical details about the same series of attacks, which they attributed to the Lazarus ...
- REvil ransomware hits US nuclear weapons contractor
June 14, 2021
US nuclear weapons contractor Sol Oriens has suffered a cyberattack allegedly at the hands of the REvil ransomware gang, which claims to be auctioning data stolen during the attack. Sol Oriens describes itself as helping the “Department of Defense and Department of Energy Organizations, Aerospace Contractors, and Technology Firms carry out complex programs.” However, job postings first ...
- G7 leaders ask Russia to hunt down ransomware gangs within its borders
June 14, 2021
G7 (Group of 7) leaders have asked Russia to urgently disrupt ransomware gangs believed to be operating within its borders, following a stream of attacks targeting organizations from critical sectors worldwide. The G7 member states also expressed their commitment to work together to address the escalating and immediate ransomware threat as a global challenge. Read more… Source: Bleeping ...
- Avaddon ransomware shuts down and releases decryption keys
June 11, 2021
The Avaddon ransomware gang has shut down operation and released the decryption keys for their victims to BleepingComputer.com. This morning, BleepingComputer received an anonymous tip pretending to be from the FBI that contained a password and a link to a password-protected ZIP file. Read more… Source: Bleeping Computer
- JBS Paid $11M to REvil Gang Even After Restoring Operations
June 10, 2021
JBS Foods paid the equivalent of $11 million in ransom after a cyber-attack that forced the company to shut down some operations in the United States and Australia over the Memorial Day weekend. The company made the payment to cybercriminals to ensure the protection of its data and mitigate any further damage to its customers, as ...
- Prometheus Ransomware Gang: A Group of REvil?
June 9, 2021
Unit 42 has spent the past four months following the activities of Prometheus, a new player in the ransomware world that uses similar malware and tactics to ransomware veteran Thanos. Prometheus leverages double-extortion tactics and hosts a leak site, where it names new victims and posts stolen data available for purchase. It claims to have breached ...