Hackers Target Over 3800 Servers with ESXiArgs Ransomware and Make Improvements to the Malware

Recent developments in the ESXiArgs ransomware attacks have been uncovered, including the encryption method used by the hackers, the victims, and the vulnerability exploited. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an open source tool to help some victims recover their files without paying a ransom, and the FBI and CISA released a document with recovery guidance. It is estimated that over 3,800 servers have been compromised in the attacks, with 1,600-1,800 of them being identified by Shodan and Censys search engines. Reuters has reported that the victims include Florida's Supreme Court and universities in the US and Europe. The malware deployed in the attacks has been found to target files associated with virtual machines, mainly configuration files, but not the flat files that store data, allowing some users to recover their data. The tool released by the US government reconstructs the encrypted configuration files based on the unencrypted flat files. It has been reported that some victims have been targeted with a new version of the ESXiArgs malware, which encrypts more data, making it impossible to restore the files. It is believed that the attacks leverage CVE-2021-21974 for initial access, a high-severity remote code execution vulnerability in VMware ESXi that was patched in February 2021. However, there is no evidence of a zero-day vulnerability being used. Threat intelligence company GreyNoise has suggested that other OpenSLP-related vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2020-3992 and CVE-2019-5544, could have been exploited in the attacks. Data collected by cloud security company Wiz showed that 12% of ESXi servers were unpatched against CVE-2021-21974 and vulnerable to attacks. The ransomware is believed to be based on Babuk source code that was leaked in 2021, and due to the low ransom demand and widespread targeting, it is thought that the campaign is not linked to any known ransomware groups.

This Cyber News was published on www.securityweek.com. Publication date: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 12:59:02 +0000


Cyber News related to Hackers Target Over 3800 Servers with ESXiArgs Ransomware and Make Improvements to the Malware

Investigation of Possible Causes of ESXiArgs Ransomware Attacks Suggests VMware is Not at Fault - Edward Hawkins, the High-Profile Product Incident Response Manager at VMware, has denied allegations that two-year-old security flaws have been used in the current ESXiArgs ransomware attacks. Over the weekend, reports surfaced about cybercriminals ...
1 year ago Hackread.com
Hackers Target Over 3800 Servers with ESXiArgs Ransomware and Make Improvements to the Malware - Recent developments in the ESXiArgs ransomware attacks have been uncovered, including the encryption method used by the hackers, the victims, and the vulnerability exploited. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released an open ...
1 year ago Securityweek.com
Types of Malware and How To Prevent Them - Malware is one of the biggest security threats to any type of technological device, and each type of malware uses unique tactics for successful invasions. Even if you've downloaded a VPN for internet browsing, our in-depth guide discusses the 14 ...
5 months ago Pandasecurity.com
No Proof of Unpatched Vulnerabilities Being Used in ESXiArgs Ransomware Assaults VMware - VMware has warned customers to take action as unpatched ESXi servers are being targeted by ESXiArgs ransomware attacks. Hackers are exploiting CVE-2021-21974, a high-severity ESXi remote code execution vulnerability related to OpenSLP that was ...
1 year ago Securityweek.com
Hive Ransomware: A Detailed Analysis - This past week, on January 26th, to be exact, the FBI successfully shut down the Hive ransomware group and saved victims over a hundred million dollars in ransom payments and remediation costs. As ransomware continues to be a national security threat ...
1 year ago Heimdalsecurity.com
CISA Provides Assistance to People Affected by ESXiArgs Ransomware - The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has created a new tool to help those affected by ESXiArgs ransomware. This open-source tool, called SXiArgs-Recover, is designed to help victims recover their virtual machines that have ...
1 year ago Hackread.com
How to Remove Malware + Viruses - Malware removal can seem daunting after your device is infected with a virus, but with a careful and rapid response, removing a virus or malware program can be easier than you think. We created a guide that explains exactly how to rid your Mac or PC ...
7 months ago Pandasecurity.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com
Stemming the Tide: Solving the Challenge of Password Reuse and Password-Stealing Malware - Password stealing malware is again rising with several attacks making the news cycle in recent months. A new password-stealing malware named Ov3r Stealer was discovered on Facebook Ads, spreading by way of fake job opportunities. Further analysis ...
6 months ago Cybersecurity-insiders.com

Latest Cyber News


Cyber Trends (last 7 days)


Trending Cyber News (last 7 days)