Ransomware group behind Oakland attack ramps up capabilities with new tools, researchers say

The PLAY ransomware group, which was forced into a state of emergency by the recent attacks on Oakland, California, has developed two new custom data collection tools. This will enable already devastating digital extortion campaigns to run more effectively. Wednesday, according to researchers.

Symantec’s Threat Hunter Team named these tools “Grixba”. This is an information-stealing tool that enumerates software and services in a targeted system, and the VSS Copying Tool allows an attacker to copy the system’s Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) files that are normally locked. . By the operating system before encryption.

These tools are just the latest example of ransomware gangs developing custom programs, researchers say. “This is likely due to a variety of reasons, including more efficient attacks and shorter dwell times,” they said. “Custom tools can be tailored to specific target environments, allowing ransomware gangs to carry out their attacks faster and more efficiently.”

Custom tools also provide more control over their operations, reducing the likelihood that a group’s specific tools will be reverse engineered or adapted by other groups, potentially weakening the effectiveness of an initial attack. researchers point out.

PLAY ransomware variant — Named for the “.play” file extension it appends after encrypting victims’ files and the one-word ransom note “PLAY” displayed to victims along with their email address. was — first appeared in June 2022, according to a September 2022 analysis by Trend Micro. The group initially focused on Latin America, particularly Brazil, according to Symantec researchers. According to SentinelLabs’ Aleksandar Milenkoski and Jim Walter, PLAY was also part of the first wave of ransomware variants that employed intermittent or partial encryption in the fall of 2022 to evade detection. and increased encryption speed.

In August 2022, a group associated with this malware claimed responsibility for an attack on Argentina’s Córdoba judiciary in what the Argentine press called “the worst attack on a public institution in history.” This group was also involved in the attack on Auckland on 10 February. , which forced city leaders there to declare a state of emergency.

According to data collected and maintained by the service eCrime.ch, variants of the PLAY ransomware have been identified in at least 20 attacks against both public and private companies worldwide in the last month alone, with at least 77 cases date back to November 2022. Monitor ransomware and data leak sites.

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