LockBit Ransomware’s Darknet Domains Seized in Global Law Enforcement Raid

An intercontinental regulation enforcement procedure has led to the seizure of many darknet domains operated by LockBit, a person of the most prolific ransomware groups, marking the newest in a extended record of digital takedowns.

Though the comprehensive extent of the energy, codenamed Procedure Cronos, is presently unidentified, checking out the group’s .onion site shows a seizure banner that contains the information “The web page is now below the manage of regulation enforcement.”

Authorities from 11 nations around the world, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S., alongside Europol participated in the joint training.

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Malware exploration group VX-Underground, in a message posted on X (previously Twitter), explained the websites were being taken down by exploiting a critical security flaw impacting PHP (CVE-2023-3824, CVSS rating: 9.8) that could final result in remote code execution.

Law enforcement agencies also remaining on a take note on the affiliate panel, stating they are in possession of the “resource code, particulars of the victims you have attacked, the total of funds extorted, the details stolen, chats, and considerably, much much more,” introducing it was manufactured feasible due to LockBit’s “flawed infrastructure.”

LockBit, which emerged on September 3, 2019, has been 1 of the most energetic and notorious ransomware gangs in historical past, proclaiming additional than 2,000 victims to date. It’s estimated to have extorted at minimum $91 million from U.S. companies by yourself.

According to data shared by cybersecurity company ReliaQuest, LockBit shown 275 victims on its knowledge leak portal in the fourth quarter of 2023, dwarfing all its rivals.

There is no word as yet of any arrest or sanctions, but the advancement is a definite blow to LockBit’s close to-time period operations and comes two months after the BlackCat ransomware procedure was dismantled by the U.S. government.

The coordinated takedown also coincides with the arrest of a 31-12 months-outdated Ukrainian national for attaining unauthorized obtain to Google and on line bank accounts of American and Canadian people by deploying malware and promoting obtain to other menace actors on the dark web for money obtain.

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