The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned of BlackCat ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) which it believes has compromised at least 60 entities around the world since last November.
BlackCat has been recruiting new affiliates since late 2021 and targeting organisations across multiple sectors across the world, according to Varonis Threat Labs. It has actively recruited former REvil, BlackMatter, and DarkSide operators and increased its activity since November 2021. Varonis found that it offers lucrative affiliate payouts, up to 90%, and uses a Rust-based ransomware executable. The group's leak site also named over 20 victim organisations since January 2022, although the data security firm predicted that the total number of victims was likely to be greater.
The FBI released an alert earlier this month where it found that BlackCat, also known as ALPHV or Noberus, has compromised at least 60 entities worldwide through RaaS as of March 2022. It said it’s the first ransomware group to do so successfully using Rust, a programming language that offers high performance and improved safety features.
The advisory stated that the ransomware leverages previously compromised user credentials to gain initial access to the victim’s system. Once the malware establishes access, it compromises Active Directory user and administrator accounts. The malware utilises Windows Task Scheduler to configure malicious Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to deploy ransomware.
RELATED RESOURCE
Ransomware and Microsoft 365 for business
What you need to know about reducing ransomware risk
The initial deployment of the malware leverages PowerShell scripts, along with Cobalt Strike, and disables security features within the victim’s network. The ransomware also uses Windows administrative tools and Microsoft Sysinternals tools during compromise. BlackCat/ALPHV steals victim data before the execution of the ransomware, including from cloud providers where company or client data was stored.
“BlackCat-affiliated threat actors typically request ransom payments of several million dollars in Bitcoin and Monero but have accepted ransom payments below the initial ransom demand amount,” stated the FBI in the advisory. “Many of the developers and money launderers for BlackCat/ALPHV are linked to Darkside/Blackmatter, indicating they have extensive networks and experience with ransomware operations.”
The agency is seeking any information that can be shared, including IP logs showing callbacks from foreign IP addresses, Bitcoin, or Monero addresses. It’s also searching for transaction IDs, communications with the threat actors, the decryptor file, and a sample of an encrypted file.
The law enforcement agency doesn’t recommend paying ransoms although it understands that some organisations may do so to protect shareholders, employees, and customers. Even if an organisation pays the ransom, the FBI has urged victims to report ransomware incidents to their local FBI office. It also suggested that organisations review their domain controllers, regularly backup data offline, and implement network segmentation.
-
What is polymorphic malware?Explainer Polymorphic malware constantly changes its code to avoid detection, making it a top cybersecurity threat that demands advanced, behavior-based defenses
-
Outgoing Kaseya CEO teases "this is just the beginning" for the companyOpinion We spoke to Fred Voccola who remains a key figurehead at the firm as it enters its next chapter...
-
Ransomware attacks are rising — but quiet payouts could mean there's more than actually reportedNews 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.
-
Cleo attack victim list grows as Hertz confirms customer data stolen – and security experts say it won't be the lastNews 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.
-
‘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 hackersNews 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.
-
Healthcare systems are rife with exploits — and ransomware gangs have noticedNews Nearly nine-in-ten healthcare organizations have medical devices that are vulnerable to exploits, and ransomware groups are taking notice.
-
Alleged LockBit developer extradited to the USNews A Russian-Israeli man has been extradited to the US amid accusations of being a key LockBit ransomware developer.
-
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.
-
CISA issues warning over Medusa ransomware after 300 victims from critical sectors impactedNews The Medusa ransomware as a Service operation compromised twice as many organizations at the start of 2025 compared to 2024
-
Warning issued over prolific 'Ghost' ransomware groupNews The Ghost ransomware group is known to act fast and exploit vulnerabilities in public-facing appliances
