Conti ransomware victims. Conti typically functions as human-operated ransomware.
Conti ransomware victims This ransomware, identified as having an impact on both Windows and Linux systems, operates by exfiltrating and encrypting data, coercing LockBit, a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation that gathered many affiliates after groups like Conti, Hive and Ragnar Locker shut down, has been the most prolific ransomware group two years The Conti ransomware gang is still actively running campaigns against victims around the world, despite the inner workings of the group being revealed by data leaks. Conti ransomware attacks have been detected across the globe, with the United States experiencing the highest number of attack attempts from January 1 to November 12, 2021, surpassing one million attempts. In August 2020, Conti’s technique shifted from Talking to Bleeping Computer, a representative of NB65 said the encryptor was based on the first Conti source code leak, but was modified for each victim to render known decryptors useless. Conti Dark Web Claimed Victims by Industry. Recent Coveware data found Conti has caused major troubles for victims, including complicated recoveries, failed negotiations, and multiple attacks Conti is a type of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) modeled group that first appeared in early 2020. Conti’s victims included hospital systems, local governments, and foreign governments. If an organization should become a victim of ransomware, CISA, FBI and NSA strongly discourage paying the ransom. K. In general, Conti has focused its efforts on large organizations and has attacked at least 700 victims to date. 0 Executive Summary. More specifically, “cybercriminals encrypt sensitive user data and threaten to publish it on the dark web, sell it to the highest bidder, or permanently restrict access if the ransom The Conti ransomware strain first appeared in early 2020 and is believed to be operated by a Russia-based cybercrime group that uses the alias Wizard Spider. Conti – Evolution With Focus This technical analysis aims to outline the Conti phylogenesis since the ransomware first appeared on the scene, in order to build a comprehensive knowledge of Conti’s evolution The deployment of these malicious tools is “unsurprising,” as modern ransomware operators “are increasingly reusing and modifying builders from well-known ransomware families that were leaked to tailor them to their needs,” said researchers at Singapore-based cybersecurity firm Group-IB. They managed to break into a number of data from the bank system. It was created by Julien Mousqueton, a security researcher. Conti actors gain access to Overwhelmingly, Conti’s claimed ransomware victims are headquartered in the United States. It was known for: 1. The logs show the Conti gang is exceedingly good at quickly finding many potential new ransomware victims, and the records include numerous internal debates within Conti leadership over how much Conti ransomware attacks may trigger regulatory scrutiny and legal obligations for victim organizations, particularly in industries subject to stringent data protection and privacy regulations. The group's purpose was to attack mainly public institutions to subsequently demand ransom for release of hijacked data. Conti is a very destructive threat. To scare the victims into paying the ransom, the Conti attackers will threaten to publish their data online for other cyber-criminals to access, and perhaps use to launch their own attacks. Rather than post leak data as a threat, Conti is now offering stolen data from victims who have not paid ransoms for sale to outside buyers. The organization behind the attack then offers to sell the key to the victim. Conti, Babuk and LockBit are among the common Conti ransomware has become one of the most infamous in the ransomware space. Like other ransomware attacks, Conti actors exfiltrate data from victims’ networks to cloud storage services like MEGA and then deploy Conti ransomware. The sprawling network of cybercriminals extorted $180 million from its victims last year, eclipsing the earnings of all other ransomware gangs Graph showing the average number of messages sent per day throughout the data set. Day 1 •Initial Access and Scans •Over the course of six hours, the attackers gained access to the victim’s network, set up C2 communications, gathered domain admin accounts, 13 thoughts on “ Conti Ransom Gang Starts Selling Access to Victims ” Ron October 25, 2021. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported that one of "Conti customers – affiliate threat actors – use [a digital] management panel to create new ransomware samples, manage their victims, and collect data on their attacks," noted the researchers, detailing the syndicate's attack kill chain leveraging PrintNightmare (CVE-2021-1675, CVE-2021-34527, and CVE-2021-36958) and FortiGate (CVE-2018 The Conti ransomware operation launched in 2020 to replace Ryuk and quickly grew to infamy after attacking victims in both the private and the public sector, including local governments in the U. Process Injection: Dynamic - link Library Injection . Private messages between Conti members uncover invaluable information about how the infamous ransomware group hijacks victims’ systems. In fact, Black Basta’s victimology closely resembles that of the Conti ransomware group, with an NASHVILLE – Three indictments were unsealed yesterday charging multiple Russian cybercrime actors involved in the Conti ransomware and Trickbot malware schemes. Day 1 •Initial Access and Scans •Over the course of six hours, the attackers gained access to the victim’s network, set up C2 communications, gathered domain admin accounts, In two years, the ransomware operators attacked more than 850 victims including corporations, government agencies, and even a whole country. Their victims’ list included hundreds of businesses, hospitals, schools, emergency services, and the Conti ransomware operators also use backdoor malware that connects the victim’s devices to Conti’s command and control (C2) servers. Conti is one of the few original, top ransomware groups still operating. While victim organizations are varied, Conti’s dark web blog exposed manufacturing, construction, and technology firms most often. It also includes a live map that shows the latest ransomware attacks. Conti was a ransomware variant used to attack more than 900 victims worldwide, including victims in the Middle District of Tennessee, approximately 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto According to the FBI, the Conti ransomware attackers blackmail victims by infiltrating a victim's network to steal sensitive information and confidential files. 43. Conti is offered as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS), enabling affiliates to utilise it as desired, provided that a percentage of the ransom payment is shared with the Conti operators The first ransomware attack against Costa Rica’s government started during the week of April 10. live tracks ransomware groups and their activity. . in order to apply additional pressure on victims to pay their ransom demands and avoid sensitive or confidential data being exposed. Paying a ransom may embolden adversaries to target additional organizations, encourage other criminal actors to engage in the distribution of ransomware, and does not guarantee that a victim’s files will be recovered. The utility works with data encrypted with a strain of the ransomware Conti is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) that was first observed in December 2019. Conti News website. Conti has attacked numerous high profile victims, including the Japanese electronics supplier JVCKenwood, and London-based high society How Conti ransomware group crippled Costa Rica — then fell apart on whatsapp (opens in a new window) victims of geopolitical rivalries in the hacking world that had been inflamed by the war Since the Conti ransomware has only been around since 2019, it is likely a lot of that money came from other activities, but some of that could have come from the Ryuk ransomware which is believed to be operated by the same threat actors. CISA, the FBI, NSA, and the USSS encourage organizations to review AA21-265A: Conti Ransomware , which includes new indicators of compromise, for more information. are paid from a slush fund belonging to the core operators, and thus have Conti incidents usually involve the theft of data, which is published on Conti’s data leak site if the victim refuses to pay the ransom. Conti also The Middle District of Tennessee indictment charges that the individuals behind Conti ransomware, including Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov, conspired to use Conti was a Russia-based ransomware-as-a-service. How does Conti ransomware work? Conti automatically scans networks for valuable targets, encrypting every file it finds and infecting all Windows operating systems. Throughout the week, Conti probed the systems of the Ministry of Finance, known as Ministerio de Conti is an active ransomware group, which only recently hit American cookware distributor Meyer, stealing sensitive employee information. e Ransomware. What differentiates it with other strains is the speed in which it encrypts files and spread. Conti Ransomware and the Health Sector 07/08/2021 TLP: WHITE, ID# 202107081300. ” It estimates more than 1,000 victims have suffered attacks associated with Conti ransomware and total victim payouts Ransom. The FBI said Conti has been observed inside victim networks between four days and three weeks on average before deploying Conti ransomware. Conti Team One Splinter Group Resurfaces as Royal Ransomware with Callback Phishing Attacks . The U. Workload corresponds with chat activity: Data analyzed by the research team reveals a Conti’s tactics are ruthless, leaking bits of stolen data to extort more ransom from its victims. Conti ransomware was first observed in 2020 and is believed to be the successor to Ryuk, which has been active since 2018. It features command line capabilities that enable operators monitoring the target environment to directly control, spread and execute the ransomware. Conti ransomware 101. The research dives deep into the history and major milestones of one of the most aggressive and organized ransomware operations. In Black Basta targets businesses in a wide variety of sectors including construction (10% of victims), law practices (4%) and real estate (3%). “The University of Utah was also the victim of a ransomware attack and paid over $450,000 to prevent The Middle District of Tennessee indictment charges that the individuals behind Conti ransomware, including Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov, conspired to use Conti to attack hundreds of victims. S Conti ransomware threat actors are actively exploiting healthcare sector and first responder networks. Conti deletes the local shadow copies via the Windows Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS), preventing the victim from restoring data. Hive (also known as the Hive ransomware group) was a ransomware as a service (RaaS) operation carried out by the eponymous cybercrime organization between June 2021 and January 2023. The average Ransomware Susceptibility Index®: 0. Conti operates as Ransomware as a Service (RaaS), where the malware developers sell or lease the malcode to affiliates. A major component of the group’s success is its focus on improving the The FBI describes the Conti ransomware variant as “the costliest strain of ransomware ever documented. The message pledged allegiance and support for the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Finally, the attackers launch the ransomware "encryptor" to lock the victim's files. Conti is considered one of the most successful ransomware groups. It may be the next evolution for ransomware gangs left with boatloads of unmonetized data after victims have become dramatically less likely to pay ransoms over just the past quarter. Lateral movement. Ransomware is where a hacker will gain access to a victim’s network and encrypt important files or services. Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information : T1140 Conti ransomware has decrypted its payload using a hardcoded AES-256 key. "The FBI estimates that as of January 2022, there had been over 1,000 victims of attacks associated with Conti ransomware with victim payouts exceeding $150,000,000, making the Conti ransomware variant the costliest strain of To date, Conti has been responsible for hundreds of ransomware incidents over the past two years, with more than 1,000 victims paying more than $150 million to the group, according to the FBI. S. As with other ransomware families, actors using Conti steal sensitive files and information from compromised networks, and threaten to publish this data Ransomware gangs like Conti use the threat of leaking stolen data on their dark web sites to extort enormous ransoms from their victims, making the sites a vital cog in the ransomware machine. Similar to ransomware such as Egregor (“Egregor News”) and Maze (“Maze News”), the Conti Gang has their own website, “Conti News,” which stores a list of their victims, and it is where they publish the stolen data:. Like other ransomware groups, Conti typically operates by infiltrating a victim’s computer network, encrypting their data, and then demanding a Conti leaks dataset, the "victim" section in this chart only represents a fraction of all victim ransom payments to Conti. The Ransomware Susceptibility Index® (RSI™) is a metric between 0. After the encryption, CONTI leaves a "README" file in each folder that it encrypts, which notifies the victim of the attack that his/her data have been encrypted and provides means to contact the CONTI team to pay the ransom and get the decryption software. Conti conspirators allegedly extorted funds from Conti ransomware first appeared in May 2020. Conti acts in a similar manner to most ransomware, but it has been engineered to be even more efficient and evasive. It is unknown whether any of the victims paid the ransom demanded by the attacker. Once the victim clicks the attachment, first-stage malware (i. Microsoft PsExec distribute the Conti ransomware to victim devices . Following Conti Ransomware data leak, see indicators of compromise (IOC) revealed to proactively block and identify intrusion attempts. Besides the double extortion that puts information and reputation at risk, the Conti operators equip it with a The FBI estimates that more than 1,000 victims of the Conti group have paid a total in excess of $150 million in ransomware payments, Price said in a statement. After encryption of the files it shows the victim the ransom note. According to Sophos, the industries most frequently targeted by Conti ransomware stands out as one of the most ruthless of the dozens of ransomware gangs that we follow. and international organizations have risen to more than 1,000. Sophos Rapid Response has encountered multiple confirmed Conti ransomware attacks in the past six months. Defining Conti ransomware. According to M TRU reports that from November 27, 2021, to February 27, 2022, the Conti Gang claims to have compromised 50+ new victims, and two-thirds of the organizations are based in Europe and the U. To upload data on cloud storage Conti uses open-source Rclone command-line software. Conti has been deployed via TrickBot and used against major corporations and government agencies, particularly those in North America. It is worth noting that while the Conti leak site published data for as many as 46 victims in just one month Conti ransomware is ransomware-as-a-service malware that targets victims primarily in North America and Western Europe. Leaked internal chats between Conti ransomware group members offer a unique glimpse into its inner workings and provide valuable insights, including details on over 30 vulnerabilities used by the group and its of organizations [1]. This entry was posted on Monday 18th of April 2022 04:41 PM On 25 February 2022, a message appeared on a darknet website run by the cybercriminal syndicate known as Conti. The remaining victims are Conti cyber threat actors remain active and reported Conti ransomware attacks against U. External reports mention that the Royal ransomware group uses callback phishing as a means of delivering their ransomware to victims (Figure 2). In September 2021, the FBI, NSA, and CISA warned that Conti ransomware attacks were on Interestingly, Akira is offered as a ransomware-as-a-service and preliminary research suggests a connection between the Akira group and threat actors associated with the notorious ransomware operation Conti. Conti typically functions as human-operated ransomware. Ransomware negotiators play an important role in helping ransomware victims recover, but it is Editor’s note: This is one of a series of articles focused on the Conti ransomware family, Conti ransomware is a global threat affecting victims mainly in North America and Western Europe. government assesses that Conti was one of the most lucrative ransomware operations, making thousands of victims and amassing more than $150 million in ransom payments. Notable attack JAKARTA - The Internet universe was recently shocked by the news of the hacking carried out by the Conti ransomware gang to its victims, Bank Indonesia (BI). The group does not seem to care about its reputation, meaning that victims of a Conti attack must deal with the possibility that compliance may Ransomware. The group has spent more than a year attacking organizations where IT outages can have life-threatening Conti makes international news headlines each week when it publishes to its dark web blog new information stolen from ransomware victims who refuse to pay an extortion demand. See more According to cybercrime intelligence firm Recorded Future, Conti was the ransomware strain responsible for the second largest number of victims in September 2021 after LockBit. the speed with which it encrypted data and spreaded Conti ransomware to other systems 2. Conti conspirators allegedly extorted funds from Security researchers analyzing the activity of the recently emerged 3AM ransomware operation uncovered close connections with infamous groups, such as the Conti syndicate and the Royal ransomware In common with many other ransomware families, Conti also operates a leaks site in order to put further pressure on its victims to pay. The Conti ransomware gang encrypted the systems at Broward County Public Schools several weeks ago and threatened to release sensitive student, teacher and employee personal data unless the district paid an enormous $40 million ransom. The group seems to have taken Meyer employees’ full Conti Ransomware Victims by Sector and Geography (click image to enlarge) Conti has been under active development throughout WIZARD SPIDER’s deployment of the ransomware in BGH campaigns. These phishing attacks contain a number that leads to a service hired by the threat actors If the victim does not respond to the ransom demands two to eight days after the ransomware deployment, Conti actors often call the victim using single-use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers. This latest leak contained 258 private keys, source code and some pre-compiled decryptors, and the Kaspersky team used it to Conti is a ransomware variant first observed in early 2020, used by cybercriminals to conduct ransomware attacks against multiple sectors and organisations worldwide, including Australia. The website provides information on the groups' infrastructure, victims, and payment demands. As the ransomware epidemic continues to expand, RaaS gangs like Conti are making it difficult for enterprises to keep up. After gaining access to an IT environment, Conti ransomware operators If the victim does not respond to the ransom demands two to eight days after the ransomware deployment, Conti actors often call the victim using single-use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers. While the cause of the site’s disappearance isn’t known for sure, and criminal dark web sites are notoriously flaky, there is good reason to suspect . [1]In January 2023, following a joint US–German One of Conti’s latest victims is Ireland’s health service. The hackers have claimed at least 16 victims in the last year, disrupting patient care. The Conti ransomware gang was on top of the world. T1055. This is not to say that firms among these industries are the most frequently Conti’s extortion site. Initially, Conti operated in a manner similar to other ransomware groups, encrypting victims' The Conti Ransomware-as-a-Service had its golden era between 2020 and early 2022, with $180 Million earnings/ year. 30 • In mid-May, the Irish national healthcare system, Health Service Executive (HSE), was attacked with Conti. You have to love the irony of this People who hack into other people’s servers for a living Kaspersky has published a new version of a decryption tool that helps victims of a ransomware modification based on previously leaked Conti source code. The group does not seem to care about its reputation, meaning that victims of a Conti attack must consider the possibility that compliance may Conti Ransomware Gang is Capable and Effective- The Conti Ransomware operators are extremely capable and effective. Conti is a ransomware gang that has dominated the cybercrime scene since 2019, and whose data, including source code, was leaked in March 2022 following an internal conflict caused by the geopolitical crisis Conti ransomware has encrypted DLLs and used obfuscation to hide Windows API calls. Good news for ransomware victims: Kaspersky security researchers say they've cracked the Conti ransomware code and released a decryptor tool after uncovering leaked data belonging to the notorious Russian crime group. Infamously responsible for a large-scale ransomware attack on the Irish The ransomware group not only encrypts victims' data but also threatens to publish sensitive information on their public leak site if ransom demands are not met. At the most basic level, Conti can be described as ransomware. Recent developments have called into question the future of the group, prompting a look back on how they came to be. Attacks become a severe threat and damage the system, namely by encrypting data on the victim's Conti leadership partnered with other gangs in the extortion business and the other members migrated to other ransomware operations. Conti ransomware has become one of the most infamous in the ransomware space. Despite setbacks to the Conti ransomware collective, including self-proclaimed shutdowns and re-branding, they continually ranked in the top three ransomware groups for number of victims and volume of ransoms in 2020 and Conti was an early adopter of the ransomware best practice of “double extortion,” which involves charging the victim two separate ransom demands: One in exchange for a digital key needed to Conti cyber threat actors remain active and reported Conti ransomware attacks against U. Conti’s victims include critical infras-tructure entities such as hospitals and food providers [1]. The Conti Moving beyond the historical focus on victims, scholars are increasingly shifting their attention to the perpetrators, especially in understanding the organizational structure of the criminal groups involved (see for a review Whelan, Bright, and Martin 2023). The actors may also communicate with the victim using ProtonMail, and in some instances victims have negotiated a reduced ransom. Double hit. being among the first threat groups that used double extortion techniques 3. Other names: Royal; Appeared in: April/May 2023; Claimed victims in 2024: 156; Claimed victims overall: 175; First detected in early 2023, BlackSuit is believed to be a rebrand of Royal Ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in 2022. If the victim does not respond to the ransom demands two to eight days after the ransomware deployment, Conti actors often call the victim using single-use Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) numbers. To get access to the files back, victims will have to pay money to the hacker, typically in cryptocurrency. Depending on the nature of the data compromised in the attack, organizations may be required to report the incident to regulatory authorities and The Conti ransomware gang is believed to have ties to the infamous Ryuk ransomware, sharing several code similarities. Image courtesy of Digital Shadows 2. Sophos operators also strongly believe they Learn who the Conti Ransomware Group is, how the group distributes its malware, and how organizations can prevent this and many other types of ransomware. Agenda 2 • Recent Ransomware Activity • Overview of Conti Ransomware COVID-related deaths Attack on New Mexico Hospital. BlackSuit: A Royal Rebrand. They came onto the ransomware scene in 2018, and the TRU team calculates that they have compromised 480+ victims since their inception. Additional features, obfuscation techniques and code changes are integrated on an almost weekly basis. Attackers deploying Conti ransomware often employ a double extortion tactic, meaning that victims are coerced into paying ransom twice: once to regain access to their encrypted files and again to prevent stolen data from being released to Microsoft PsExec distribute the Conti ransomware to victim devices . This is often combined with a dual-extortion scheme, where stolen data is threatened to be RaaS affiliates use already developed ransomware by ransomware developers to target their victims. 001: Conti ransomware has loaded an encrypted DLL into memory and then executes it. For each successful attack, RaaS affiliates earn a percentage of the ransom payment. Type and source of infection. One of the variants is Conti ransomware that can spread infection and encrypt data simultaneously. paying its affiliates a fixed wage, not a commission. The Conti ransomware group exhibits an internal structure comparable to other "The Conti ransomware group has been responsible for hundreds of ransomware incidents over the past two years," the statement read. Both Conti and Ryuk are operated by the Russian cybercrime group, Wizard Spider. The Conti ransomware group is one of dozens of double-extortion criminal collectives that operate leak sites, having joined the likes A decryption tool for a modified version of the Conti ransomware could help hundreds of victims recover their files for free. The Middle District of Tennessee indictment charges that the individuals behind Conti ransomware, including Galochkin, Rudenskiy, Tsarev, and Zhuykov, conspired to use Conti to attack hundreds of victims. Once executed on the victim’s They then install AnyDesk or Atera on the target machine to maintain an open communication channel. puutvbssmgjhfsvlnwzrdmbquaegxzpfghgzwgqakaadlfdnmoezd