Nokoyowa Leaks, the official communication channel for the Nokoyowa ransomware group, has re-emerged on the darkweb, revealing a distressing checklist of 24 new victims.
Curiously, a few of these victims overlap with these focused by the notorious Snatch ransomware group, elevating questions on a possible connection between these malicious entities.
The Nokoyowa ransomware gang disclosed a listing of victims, which incorporates notable corporations reminiscent of:
- CONEX
- Miescor
- MSX International
- Gaston College
- City of Modesto
- Pueblo Mechanical & Controls
- Comcom-sgc
- Guardian Nice Artwork Companies
- Correct Auto Insurance coverage
- Stockmann Natursteine & Fliesen
- Snodland C of E Major College
- Sabin
- Canadian Nurses Association
- Rural Workforce Company
- Fresca
- Cover Youngsters’s Options
- Wyoming County Neighborhood Well being System
- ePerformax
- Hyundai Motors Etats-Unis
- Chattanooga State Community
- Miami University
- Medical College of the Americas
- World Distant Companies
- Liveaction Inc.
The Cyber Specific discovered that eight of those victims — MSX Worldwide, Gaston College, City of Modesto, Canadian Nurses Association, Fresca, Chattanooga State Community, Miami College, Liveaction Inc– have been earlier claimed by Snatch, some only a day in the past.
Unraveling the connection between Nokoyowa Leaks and the Snatch
Contemplating the origins and the historical past of Nokoyowa, a possible partnership between them and the Snatch ransomware group can’t be dismissed as coincidence.
Nonetheless, specialists from Cyble shunned terming Snatch as a ransomware group, however acknowledged their historical past of extortion. It typically markets stolen knowledge on its leaked web site, the researchers advised The Cyber Specific.
“Snatch isn’t a ransomware group. They’re extortion group and lots of a occasions simply market knowledge on their leak web site,” a Cyble risk intelligence researcher advised The Cyber Specific.
In response to the researcher, Nokoyowa’s claims of breaching organizations seem bogus.
Whereas Nokoyowa was comparatively unknown till not too long ago, it gained consideration following a March 2022 report by Trend Micro, a number one cybersecurity agency, linking them to the Hive ransomware household.
In response to the report, there are putting similarities within the assault patterns, instruments utilized, and the sequential execution of steps employed by each Nokoyowa and Hive.
These findings counsel a attainable connection between the 2 teams, hinting at a posh collaboration community amongst cyber criminals.
Nokoyowa primarily focuses its operations in South America, notably emphasizing Argentina as its main goal.
This regional focus underscores the pressing want for strengthened cybersecurity measures and enhanced collaboration amongst organizations and legislation enforcement businesses within the affected areas.
Who’s the Nokoyowa ransomware gang?
Nokoyowa ransomware is a malware pressure that emerged in February 2022, able to concentrating on 64-bit Home windows-based techniques in double extortion assaults.
The group behind Nokoyowa ransomware employs a two-pronged method: first, they exfiltrate delicate data from organizations, then encrypt information and demand a ransom cost.
In April 2023, Kaspersky Technologies detected a number of makes an attempt to use elevation-of-privilege vulnerabilities in Microsoft Home windows servers belonging to small and medium-sized companies within the Center East, North America, and beforehand in Asia.
Throughout one such assault, Kaspersky recognized the CVE-2023-28252 vulnerability, the place cybercriminals tried to deploy an up to date model of Nokoyowa ransomware.
Refined cybercriminal teams have exploited this vulnerability to deploy Nokoyowa ransomware as the ultimate payload.
Microsoft promptly addressed the actively exploited CVE-2023-28252 vulnerability and launched a patch to mitigate the danger. As of Could 2023, risk actors have shifted their focus to different technique of preliminary entry, reminiscent of ISO information.
Because the alarming actions of Nokoyowa Leaks and the Snatch ransomware group proceed, organizations and people should stay vigilant and implement robust cybersecurity measures.
Collaboration amongst stakeholders, together with legislation enforcement businesses, cybersecurity companies, and affected organizations, is paramount within the battle towards these cyber threats.
By staying knowledgeable and adopting proactive security strategies, we are able to successfully fight the perils posed by Nokoyowa ransomware and safeguard our digital infrastructure.
Media Disclaimer:
This report relies on inside and exterior analysis obtained by way of numerous means. The data supplied is for reference functions solely, and customers bear full duty for his or her reliance on it. The Cyber Specific assumes no legal responsibility for the accuracy or penalties of utilizing this data.
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