A gaggle of worldwide legislation enforcement businesses have seized the darkish internet leak web site of the 8base ransomware gang as a part of a takedown operation.
“This hidden web site and the felony content material have been seized by the Bavarian State Legal Police Workplace on behalf of the Workplace of the Public Prosecutor Common in Bamberg,” reads a message on the gang’s darkish internet leak web site, which information.killnetswitch has seen.
In keeping with the seizure message, legislation enforcement businesses from Europe, Japan, the U.S., and the U.Okay. had been concerned within the takedown operation.
Lucy Sneddon, a spokesperson for the U.Okay.’s Nationwide Crime Company (NCA), confirmed the legitimacy of the takedown message in an electronic mail to information.killnetswitch. The U.Okay. performed a “supportive function” within the operation, the company mentioned.
Representatives from the opposite legislation enforcement businesses concerned within the takedown didn’t instantly reply to information.killnetswitch’s questions.
Safety researchers first seen the seizure discover on Monday.
The ransomware gang is a financially motivated hacking group first noticed in 2022. The group, which security consultants have linked to the RansomHouse extortion group, is thought for using double-extortion techniques, the place criminals encrypt after which threaten to show delicate info if the sufferer doesn’t pay a ransom demand.
In 2023, the U.S. authorities warned that the 8base gang centered its “indiscriminate focusing on” on a number of sectors primarily throughout the US, together with healthcare. The gang additionally claimed accountability for a cyberattack on the United Nations Improvement Programme final yr.
In a message on its darkish internet leak web site previous to this week’s takedown, 8base described itself as “trustworthy and easy pentesters.” Very similar to the prolific Clop ransomware gang, 8base claimed to solely goal organizations which have “uncared for the privateness and significance of the info of their workers and clients.”
Numerous strains of ransomware are recognized for use in 8base’s assaults, together with Phobos. The U.S. authorities final yr secured the extradition of an alleged Russian hacker who allegedly served as a key administrator of the prolific Phobos ransomware operation.
