Egregor ransomware could take up where Maze left off
Security researchers warn that new ransomware has claimed at least 71 business victims around the world


The hackers behind a new variant of ransomware may have only just started to gain traction, security researchers have warned.
First observed on 25 September, the Egregor ransomware is said to be filling the gap left by the Maze ransomware, which ceased operations last month, according to a blog by researchers at IT security firm Digital Shadows.
In October, Egregor struck Barnes & Noble and video game producers Ubisoft and Crytek. From Barnes & Noble, Egregor hackers released two Windows Registry hives — claiming they contained highly sensitive financial data about the bookseller.
In the attack against video game company Ubisoft, Egregor claimed to have stolen source code for its “Watchdogs: Legion” title, leaking 200MB of data about in-game assets, although there was no confirmation from Ubisoft employees on the matter.
The researchers have said the new Egregor strain shares similarities with Maze, including malware signatures, their target victims being within the industrial goods & services sector, and the practice of leaking company’s sensitive data on a dark web-based “News” website.
Egregor has also had a very busy November, with 71 victims spanning across 19 different industry verticals recorded so far.
“The level of sophistication of their attacks, adaptability to infect such a broad range of victims, and [a] significant increase in their activity suggests that Egregor ransomware operators have been developing their malware for some time and are just now putting it to (malicious) use,” said Lauren Palace, an analyst at Digital Shadows.
Get the ITPro daily newsletter
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
RELATED RESOURCE
The business guide to ransomware
Everything you need to know to keep your company afloat
Researchers have found that the criminals behind Egregor tend to release packets of data that are easily traceable to the victim while demanding a hefty ransom to prevent further leaks. Most of the victims, according to Digital Shadows, are clustered in the industrial goods & services sector (38%), with a vast majority of victims being US-based companies (83%).
Egregor attacks are said to have increased 240% from September 25th (15 incidents) to October 31st (51 incidents), and are up a further 43% as of November 17th, bringing the total number of incidents to 71, according to Place.
Given the sophisticated technical capabilities of Egregor hackers to hinder malware analysis, and the fact it's already targeting a large variety of organizations, Digital Shadows has warned that the group will “likely continue in the future, posing more and more of a risk to your organization”.
Rene Millman is a freelance writer and broadcaster who covers cybersecurity, AI, IoT, and the cloud. He also works as a contributing analyst at GigaOm and has previously worked as an analyst for Gartner covering the infrastructure market. He has made numerous television appearances to give his views and expertise on technology trends and companies that affect and shape our lives. You can follow Rene Millman on Twitter.
-
Blackouts in Spain and Portugal could be a cyber attack
Both countries are "paralyzed" by nationwide power outages
By Jane McCallion
-
Cisco takes aim at AI security at RSAC with ServiceNow partnership
News The companies claim Cisco AI Defense and ServiceNow SecOps will help address new challenges raised by AI
By Jane McCallion
-
Ransomware attacks are rising — but quiet payouts could mean there's more than actually reported
News Ransomware attacks continue to climb, but they may be even higher than official figures show as companies choose to quietly pay to make such incidents go away.
By Nicole Kobie
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the last
News Hertz has confirmed it suffered a data breach as a result of the Cleo zero-day vulnerability in late 2024, with the car rental giant warning that customer data was stolen.
By Ross Kelly
-
‘Phishing kits are a force multiplier': Cheap cyber crime kits can be bought on the dark web for less than $25 – and experts warn it’s lowering the barrier of entry for amateur hackers
News Research from NordVPN shows phishing kits are now widely available on the dark web and via messaging apps like Telegram, and are often selling for less than $25.
By Emma Woollacott
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticed
News Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
By Nicole Kobie
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the US
News A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
By Emma Woollacott
-
February was the worst month on record for ransomware attacks – and one threat group had a field day
News February 2025 was the worst month on record for the number of ransomware attacks, according to new research from Bitdefender.
By Emma Woollacott
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impacted
News The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
By Solomon Klappholz
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware group
News The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances
By Solomon Klappholz