Medusa

Threat Actor updated 3 days ago (2024-11-20T18:12:03.322Z)

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Medusa, a threat actor group known for its malicious activities, has been increasingly involved in multiple high-profile cyber attacks. In November 2023, Medusa and other groups like LockBit and ALPHV (BlackCat) exploited a zero-day vulnerability, the Citrix Bleed (CVE-2023-4966), leading to numerous compromises. Among the affected was Toyota, which confirmed a breach after Medusa threatened to leak stolen data. The group also published mental health records of school students after failing to secure a ransom. This escalation in activities demonstrates Medusa's capacity to target various sectors, from auto manufacturing to education and healthcare. The group has been observed advertising for recruitment, offering up to 90% profit-sharing to attract affiliates. This strategy is indicative of the group's ambition to expand its operations and increase its attack capabilities. Additionally, Medusa has been linked with other malware strains like ToxicPanda, further illustrating its broad range of cyber threats. These banking trojans require less technical skill, allowing attackers to bypass banks’ behavioral detection defenses, and have the potential to victimize a wider swath of banking customers. In a notable case, a Colorado-based pathology laboratory reported that over 1.8 million patients' sensitive information was compromised six months after an employee opened a phishing email sent by Medusa. This incident marked one of the largest breaches reported by a medical testing lab to U.S. federal regulators to date. Furthermore, many affiliates of other ransomware groups like LockBit have started working solo or aligned themselves with groups like Medusa, bringing their playbooks and toolkits with them. These developments underline the evolving threat landscape and the increasing sophistication and reach of threat actors like Medusa.

Description last updated: 2024-11-15T16:02:55.085Z

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Possible Aliases / Cluster overlaps

It's hard to track cluster overlaps and naming conventions between vendors, so here are some possible overlapping names / profiles you also may want to look at. Create a free account to see the source evidence for each alias, and help fix any errors.

Alias Description	Votes
Medusa Ransomware is a possible alias for Medusa. Medusa ransomware, a malicious software program that debuted in late 2022, has been wreaking havoc by infiltrating systems and holding data hostage for ransom. This form of malware is typically delivered through suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often without the user's knowledge. Once insi	6
Operation Medusa is a possible alias for Medusa. Operation Medusa was a concerted campaign led by the United States Department of Justice and the FBI to disrupt the activities of Turla's Snake malware. Snake, a signature malware used by the Russia-sponsored Turla advanced persistent threat (APT), had been compromising computers on a large scale. T	4
MedusaLocker is a possible alias for Medusa. MedusaLocker is a potent malware, first observed in 2019, that primarily targets the healthcare sector. It operates as a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS), often using the double extortion method for monetary gain. This ransomware has been particularly effective during periods of disorder and confusion	2

Miscellaneous Associations

Other elements of context that could aid in the identification of relevance

Ransomware

Ransom

Malware

Perseus

Tool

Operation Me...

RaaS

Vulnerability

Banking

Toyota

Exploit

Data Leak

Extortion

Encryption

Android

Locker

Encrypt

Botnet

Linux

Ddos

Trojan

Phishing

Windows

Infiltration

Analyst Notes & Discussion

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Associated Malware

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Alias Description	Association Type	Votes
The Lockbit Malware is associated with Medusa. LockBit is a malicious software, or malware, known for its damaging and exploitative functions. It infiltrates systems via dubious downloads, emails, or websites, often without the user's knowledge, and can steal personal information, disrupt operations, or hold data hostage for ransom. The LockBit	Unspecified	6
The Snake Malware Malware is associated with Medusa. The Snake malware, a malicious software program known for its complexity, was identified as a key tool in the arsenal of cybercriminal group Pensive Ursa. Detailed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in May 2023, this Python-based information stealer was used to infect com	Unspecified	4
The Akira Malware is associated with Medusa. Akira is a potent ransomware that has been active since 2023, known for its aggressive encryption tactics and swift deployment. This malware, which brings a unique '80s aesthetic to the dark web, has quickly risen in prominence within the cybercrime landscape. It has targeted hundreds of victims glo	Unspecified	4
The Locker Ransomware Malware is associated with Medusa. Locker ransomware, a type of malware, poses significant risks to computer systems and data. Unlike crypto-ransomware which encrypts user data, locker ransomware locks users out of their devices entirely, demanding a ransom payment to restore access without any data encryption. This threat has evolve	Unspecified	4
The Royal Ransomware Malware is associated with Medusa. Royal Ransomware is a form of malware that was active from September 2022 through June 2023. This malicious software, designed to exploit and damage computers or devices, would infiltrate systems via suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often unbeknownst to the user. Once inside, it could stea	Unspecified	2
The Bingomod Malware is associated with Medusa. BingoMod is a type of malware that targets banking customers through a manual approach, which requires less technical skill and helps to bypass banks' behavioral detection defenses. Similar to other banking trojans like Medusa, ToxicPanda, and Copybara, this stripped-down method gives threat actors	Unspecified	2
The malware Copybara is associated with Medusa.	Unspecified	2
The Mirai Malware is associated with Medusa. Mirai, a malware that targets Internet of Things (IoT) devices, was responsible for over 7 million botnet detections in early 2022. This malicious software infiltrates systems often without the user's knowledge and can steal personal information, disrupt operations, or hold data hostage for ransom.	Unspecified	2
The Clop Malware is associated with Medusa. Clop, a malicious software (malware), is linked to a Russian-speaking cybercriminal group also known as Cl0p. It is designed to exploit and damage computer systems by stealing personal information, disrupting operations, or holding data hostage for ransom. In May 2023, the Clop group began exploitin	Unspecified	2
The Aukill Malware is associated with Medusa. AuKill, a malicious software (malware) developed by the notorious cybercrime collective FIN7, has been identified as a significant threat to endpoint security. The malware was designed to exploit a vulnerable version of a driver for Microsoft's Process Explorer utility, thereby disabling endpoint pr	Unspecified	2

Associated Threat Actors

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Alias Description	Association Type	Votes
The Turla Threat Actor is associated with Medusa. Turla, a threat actor linked to Russia, is known for its sophisticated cyber espionage operations. The group has been associated with numerous high-profile attacks, often utilizing advanced backdoors and fileless malware for infiltration and persistence. Turla's tactics, techniques, and procedures (	Unspecified	5
The Alphv Threat Actor is associated with Medusa. Alphv, also known as BlackCat, is a notable threat actor in the cybersecurity landscape. Originating from Russia, this cybercriminal group has been involved in multiple high-profile ransomware attacks, specifically targeting healthcare providers. They gained significant attention after stealing 5TB	Unspecified	5
The Ransomhub Threat Actor is associated with Medusa. RansomHub, a threat actor in the realm of cybersecurity, has emerged as a significant player within the ransomware landscape. The group is known for its malicious activities, including data breaches and extortion attempts. It has been observed that RansomHub affiliates actively participate in campai	Unspecified	3
The Rhysida Threat Actor is associated with Medusa. Rhysida is a globally active threat actor known for its ransomware operations, which have impacted a wide range of sectors, particularly the government and public sector. Their use of CleanUpLoader makes their operations highly effective and difficult to detect, as it not only facilitates persistenc	Unspecified	2

Associated Vulnerabilities

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Alias Description	Association Type	Votes
The CVE-2023-4966 Vulnerability is associated with Medusa. CVE-2023-4966, also known as Citrix Bleed, is a significant software vulnerability discovered in the Citrix NetScaler ADC and Gateway products. The flaw, characterized as a sensitive information disclosure vulnerability, poses a serious threat due to its high CVSS score of 9.4. This vulnerability wa	Unspecified	2
The Citrix Bleed Vulnerability is associated with Medusa. Citrix Bleed (CVE-2023-4966) is a severe software vulnerability, with a CVSS score of 9.4, identified in Citrix Netscaler Gateway and Netscaler ADC products. This flaw allows unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, enabling attackers to gain remote access to organizations that rely on Citr	has used	2

Source Document References

Information about the Medusa Threat Actor was read from the documents corpus below. This display is limited to 20 results, create a free account to see more

Source Link	CreatedAt	Title
Securelist	8 days ago	Crimeware and financial predictions for 2025
Securityaffairs	17 days ago	ToxicPanda Android banking trojan targets Europe and LATAM
DARKReading	17 days ago	Android Botnet ToxicPanda Bashes Banks Across Europe, LatAm
BankInfoSecurity	23 days ago	Medusa Ransomware Hack of Pathology Lab Affects 1.8 Million
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Neutralisation par le gouvernement américain de Snake une redoutable cybermenace russe
CERT-EU	2 years ago	FBI legt russisches "Snake"-Malware-Netzwerk des FSB lahm
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Οι Αμερικανοί εξουδετέρωσαν τον ιό Snake των Ρώσων - ΤΑ ΝΕΑ
CERT-EU	2 years ago	FBI roeit Russische computers uit met Snake-malware
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Várias agências internacionais alertam para o malware russo Snake
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Les États-Unis désactivent le spyware russe Snake
CERT-EU	2 years ago	FBI deckt gigantische russische Spionage-Aktion auf – und nutzt sie selbst zum Schnüffeln
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Perseus vs FSB. Οι ΗΠΑ εξουδετέρωσαν τον πιο εξελιγμένο ιό της Ρωσίας
CERT-EU	2 years ago	Perseus vs FSB: Οι ΗΠΑ «συνέτριψαν... το snake»- Νέα μέρα στην κυβερνοασφάλεια με την εξουδετέρωση του πιο εξελιγμένου ρωσικού ιού
BankInfoSecurity	2 months ago	LockBit and Evil Corp Targeted In Anti-Ransomware Crackdown
Securityaffairs	3 months ago	Toyota disclosed a data breach after ZeroSevenGroup leaked stolen data on a cybercrime forum
CERT-EU	a year ago	Toyota hacked again, this time through its German financial services arm \| #hacking \| #cybersecurity \| #infosec \| #comptia \| #pentest \| #hacker
CERT-EU	10 months ago	Medusa and Akira Rage; Tortilla Disrupted \| #hacking \| #cybersecurity \| #infosec \| #comptia \| #pentest \| #ransomware
DARKReading	8 months ago	After LockBit, ALPHV Takedowns, RaaS Startups Go on a Recruiting Drive
Securityaffairs	4 months ago	BingoMod Android RAT steals money from victims' bank accounts and wipes data
InfoSecurity-magazine	5 months ago	Ransomware Attack Demands Reach a Staggering $5.2m in 2024