NoEscape

NoEscape is a form of malware, specifically ransomware, known for infiltrating victim networks and collaborating with other ransomware affiliates like Ransomhouse and ALPHV (also known as BlackCat). These groups work together to gain access to victim networks, lock them down, and strategize on how to extort the victims. The NoEscape ransomware gang notably orchestrated a data breach against the French basketball team ASVEL in October 2023. In the last quarter of 2023, the Talos Incident Response team reported an increase in ransomware incidents involving new players including Play, Cactus, BlackSuit, and NoEscape, indicating a rise in their activity. In December 2023, following the FBI's disruption campaign against the ALPHV ransomware operation, the LockBit ransomware group made a public call on a Russian-speaking dark web forum. They sought to recruit ALPHV and NoEscape ransomware affiliates, even inviting any ALPHV developers to join them. This move was interpreted as a sign of desperation on LockBit's part, possibly due to the increased law enforcement pressure and disruptions. Despite its recent visibility, NoEscape has seemingly gone quiet, even taking down its data leak site. However, experts from ReliaQuest predict that this silence is only temporary. Given NoEscape's past success with multi-extortion tactics and its emergence as a rebrand of 'Avaddon,' it is likely that the group will resume activity under a different name in the future. Meanwhile, the NoEscape and Play ransomware groups were observed to have increased their activities during the last quarter of 2023.