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

An global regulation enforcement operation has led to the seizure of a number of darknet domains operated by LockBit, one particular of the most prolific ransomware teams, marking the latest in a prolonged record of digital takedowns.

Whilst the comprehensive extent of the hard work, codenamed Procedure Cronos, is presently not known, checking out the group’s .onion site shows a seizure banner that contains the message “The web page is now underneath the command of legislation enforcement.”

Authorities from 11 international locations, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K., and the U.S., along with Europol participated in the joint physical exercise.

Malware analysis team VX-Underground, in a concept posted on X (formerly Twitter), mentioned the sites were being taken down by exploiting a critical security flaw impacting PHP (CVE-2023-3824, CVSS rating: 9.8) that could consequence in distant code execution.

Law enforcement companies also left on a note on the affiliate panel, stating they are in possession of the “resource code, particulars of the victims you have attacked, the total of cash extorted, the knowledge stolen, chats, and much, a great deal a lot more,” introducing it was created doable thanks to LockBit’s “flawed infrastructure.”

LockBit, which emerged on September 3, 2019, has been 1 of the most active and notorious ransomware gangs in background, professing far more than 2,000 victims to date. It is really estimated to have extorted at minimum $91 million from U.S. organizations by itself.

According to facts shared by cybersecurity agency ReliaQuest, LockBit listed 275 victims on its information leak portal in the fourth quarter of 2023, dwarfing all its competitors.

There is no term as still of any arrest or sanctions, but the progress is a definite blow to LockBit’s near-time period operations and comes two months soon after the BlackCat ransomware operation was dismantled by the U.S. government.

The coordinated takedown also coincides with the arrest of a 31-yr-previous Ukrainian nationwide for gaining unauthorized accessibility to Google and on the internet bank accounts of American and Canadian end users by deploying malware and advertising obtain to other menace actors on the dark web for fiscal achieve.

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Some parts of this article are sourced from:
thehackernews.com