Hacktivism

NB65 group targets Russia with a modified version of Conti’s ransomware

NB65 hacking group created its ransomware based on the leaked source code of the Conti ransomware and targets Russia.

According to BleepingComputer, NB65 hacking group is targeting Russian organizations with ransomware that they have developed using the leaked source code of the Conti ransomware.

The NB65 hacking group, since the beginning of the invasion, the collective joint the forces with Anonymous and hit multiple Russian targets, including All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) and the Russian Space Agency ‘Roscosmos’.

Since the end of March, the NB65 crew has started using its own ransomware to target Russian entities.

BleepingComputer first learned of NB65’s ransomware by cybersecurity researchers Tom Malka and during the weekend they were able to discover a sample of the Conti ransomware modified by NB65 that was uploaded to VirusTotal. The good news is that at this time, almost any AV solution on VirusTotal is able do detect the ransomware (detection rate 49/68).

The experts noticed that unlike the original version of the Conti ransomware, NB65 version appends the .NB65 extension to the encrypted file’s names.

The hacktivists also customized the ransom note accusing Russia and Putin of invading Ukraine and having committed war crimes.

“We’re watching very closely.  Your President should not have commited war crimes. If you’re searching for someone to blame for your current situation look no further than Vladimir Putin,” reads the NB65 ransomware note shared by BleepingComputer.

Clearly, the group also modified the encryption process to avoid Russian victims using a decryptor provided by the Conti gang that announced its support to Russia.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Conti ransomware)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.

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