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MalwareRansomwareUsed by 12 actorsExploits 1 CVE

Ryuk

Ryuk is a ransomware family first discovered in 2018. The provided content describes it as a well-known ransomware used in intrusions against organizations including hospitals and other enterprises, and notes FBI-attributed activity installing Ryuk on servers and workstations between March 2019 and September 2020. Ryuk is repeatedly linked to the TrickBot malware operation and distribution ecosystem, and multiple references state that Conti emerged from the Ryuk group or cybercrime syndicate. The content also associates Ryuk with Wizard Spider and notes broader links to Russia-based cybercrime.

Behaviorally, the content states that Ryuk performs pre-encryption tradecraft including service and process termination, including stopping services related to anti-virus and using a kill.bat script prior to encryption. It has been observed to query the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\Language and the InstallLanguage value, and to stop execution if the system language corresponds to Russian (0x419), Ukrainian (0x422), or Belarusian (0x423). The content further states that Ryuk deletes recovery artifacts using vssadmin Delete Shadows /all /quiet and vssadmin resize shadowstorage to force deletion of shadow copies created by third-party applications. It has also been observed injecting itself into remote processes to encrypt files using VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and CreateRemoteThread.

Infection and delivery relationships mentioned in the content include reliance on the TrickBot distribution system and benefit from EMOTET loader activity; other reporting cited in the content also ties BazarCall campaigns historically to Ryuk and Conti operations. The content references reconnaissance activity seen in Ryuk intrusions, including suspicious use of net.exe or net1.exe for group and account enumeration. Overall, the supplied material characterizes Ryuk as an enterprise-targeting ransomware family closely tied to TrickBot-era cybercrime operations and as a predecessor to Conti.

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EXPLOITED CVES

Vulnerabilities exploited

1 CVE Mallory has correlated with this family across public research and vendor advisories. Each row links to the full Mallory page for that vulnerability.

1 CVES
CVE-2020-1472Zerologon in Microsoft Netlogon Remote ProtocolExploited in the wild

"Privileges have been escalated using Mimikatz, Rubeus4 [13], or by exploiting a Zerologon vulnerability (CVE-2020-1472) [26]."

via cert ssi scadacert.ssi.gouv.fr
THREAT ACTORS

Groups observed using it

12 distinct threat actors attributed by public researchers. Open in Mallory to see the full evidence chain and overlapping campaigns.

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WIZARD SPIDER

Example 8 — Pivot from malware to infrastructure You found a Ryuk ransomware sample (SHA256 hash).

via infosec writeupsinfosecwriteups.com
NC1878

The Conti ransomware, or malware, first appeared in December 2019, and some security sources said it appeared to be the successor of Ryuk ransomware, which first surfaced around the middle of 2018. Ryuk originated in Russia, and appears to be controlled by a cyber crime gang known as Russian Spider.

via irishtimesirishtimes.com
Russian Spider

The Conti ransomware, or malware, first appeared in December 2019, and some security sources said it appeared to be the successor of Ryuk ransomware, which first surfaced around the middle of 2018. Ryuk originated in Russia, and appears to be controlled by a cyber crime gang known as Russian Spider.

via irishtimesirishtimes.com
Silent Ransom Group

"...gain initial access to corporate networks for Ryuk, and later, Conti ransomware attacks."

via bleeping computerbleepingcomputer.com
TA800

"BazaLoader... subsequently installed a ransomware strain called Ryuk."

via proofpoint threat insight blogproofpoint.com
Ryuk actors

"The operators of Ryuk ransomware are at it again... There was speculation that the Ryuk actors had moved on to a rebranded version of the ransomware, called Conti."

via sophos threat researchnews.sophos.com
MITRE ATT&CK

Techniques & procedures

32 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.

Resource Development

2 techniques
T1583.003Virtual Private ServerEvidence1

the group has continued to host a significant proportion of the C&C infrastructure in the networks of Choopa, a U.S.-based VPS hosting provider

T1588.001MalwareEvidence1

The U.S. and German government’s action today addresses the abuse of virtual currency to launder ransom payments.

Initial Access

1 technique
T1190Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationEvidence1

Authorities accused him of identifying exploitable vulnerabilities in potential victims' networks. "The data obtained by the hacker was used by his accomplices to plan and carry out cyberattacks," police said.

Execution

4 techniques
T1047Windows Management InstrumentationEvidence1

Batch script that uses WMIC to execute a BITSAdmin transfer of a payload ransomware to each targeted machine in the comps<##>.txt files.

T1053.005Scheduled TaskEvidence1

During the 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.

T1059.003Windows Command ShellEvidence3

During the 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team used the xp_cmdshell command in MS-SQL. During the 2025 Poland Wiper Attacks, the adversaries leveraged PsExec to run cmd.exe commands on multiple victim machines. Numerous malware families and groups are described as using cmd.exe, cmd /c, Windows command shell, or command-line interfaces to execute commands, payloads, reconnaissance, persistence, cleanup, and ransomware actions.

T1197BITS JobsEvidence1

Batch script that uses WMIC to execute a BITSAdmin transfer of a payload ransomware to each targeted machine in the comps<##>.txt files.

Persistence

5 techniques
T1053.005Scheduled TaskEvidence1

During the 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.

T1112Modify RegistryEvidence2

Across the content, malware repeatedly 'adds Registry Run keys', 'creates Registry entries', 'modifies the Windows Registry', or 'overwrites registry keys' to maintain persistence.

T1197BITS JobsEvidence1

Batch script that uses WMIC to execute a BITSAdmin transfer of a payload ransomware to each targeted machine in the comps<##>.txt files.

T1547Boot or Logon Autostart ExecutionEvidence1

Examples include 'adds Registry Run keys to establish persistence', 'creates a shortcut in the Startup folder', and 'RunOnce Registry key to run itself on safe mode.'

T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup FolderEvidence3

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors establishing persistence by adding values under HKCU/HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run or RunOnce, and by placing executables, scripts, .lnk files, or .bat files in the Windows Startup folder.

Privilege Escalation

7 techniques
T1053.005Scheduled TaskEvidence1

During the 2022 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, Sandworm Team leveraged Scheduled Tasks through a Group Policy Object (GPO) to execute CaddyWiper at a predetermined time.

T1055Process InjectionEvidence2

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors injecting shellcode, DLLs, or payloads into legitimate processes such as svchost.exe, explorer.exe, iexplore.exe, cmd.exe, lsass.exe, and browser processes.

T1055.001Dynamic-link Library InjectionEvidence1

ROKRAT can use VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and then CreateRemoteThread to execute shellcode within the address space of Notepad.exe. Ryuk has injected itself into remote processes to encrypt files using a combination of VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and CreateRemoteThread.

T1055.003Thread Execution HijackingEvidence1

ROKRAT can use VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and then CreateRemoteThread to execute shellcode within the address space of Notepad.exe. Ryuk has injected itself into remote processes to encrypt files using a combination of VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and CreateRemoteThread. Woody RAT can inject code into a targeted process by writing to the remote memory of an infected system and then create a remote thread.

T1484.001Group Policy ModificationEvidence1

In at least one incident, FIN12 used GPOs, scheduled tasks, and WebDAV to execute a RYUK payload hosted on a network file share.

T1547Boot or Logon Autostart ExecutionEvidence1

Examples include 'adds Registry Run keys to establish persistence', 'creates a shortcut in the Startup folder', and 'RunOnce Registry key to run itself on safe mode.'

T1547.001Registry Run Keys / Startup FolderEvidence3

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors establishing persistence by adding values under HKCU/HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run or RunOnce, and by placing executables, scripts, .lnk files, or .bat files in the Windows Startup folder.

Stealth

7 techniques
T1027Obfuscated Files or InformationEvidence1

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors using obfuscated code, encrypted strings, Base64/XOR/RC4/AES encoding, VMProtect/ConfuserEx/SmartAssembly, stack strings, control-flow flattening, opaque predicates, and hidden payloads to evade analysis and detection.

T1027.002Software PackingEvidence1

Since at least February 2020, FIN12 has leveraged a series of in-memory droppers including, MALTSHAKE, ICECANDLE, WHITEDAGGER, WEIRDLOOP, and templates associated with Cobalt Strike's Artifact Kit to deploy various malware payloads.

T1036MasqueradingEvidence1

During the 2016 Ukraine Electric Power Attack, DLLs and EXEs with filenames associated with common electric power sector protocols were used to masquerade files.

T1055Process InjectionEvidence2

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors injecting shellcode, DLLs, or payloads into legitimate processes such as svchost.exe, explorer.exe, iexplore.exe, cmd.exe, lsass.exe, and browser processes.

T1055.001Dynamic-link Library InjectionEvidence1

ROKRAT can use VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and then CreateRemoteThread to execute shellcode within the address space of Notepad.exe. Ryuk has injected itself into remote processes to encrypt files using a combination of VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and CreateRemoteThread.

T1055.003Thread Execution HijackingEvidence1

ROKRAT can use VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and then CreateRemoteThread to execute shellcode within the address space of Notepad.exe. Ryuk has injected itself into remote processes to encrypt files using a combination of VirtualAlloc, WriteProcessMemory, and CreateRemoteThread. Woody RAT can inject code into a targeted process by writing to the remote memory of an infected system and then create a remote thread.

T1197BITS JobsEvidence1

Batch script that uses WMIC to execute a BITSAdmin transfer of a payload ransomware to each targeted machine in the comps<##>.txt files.

Defense Impairment

3 techniques
T1112Modify RegistryEvidence2

Across the content, malware repeatedly 'adds Registry Run keys', 'creates Registry entries', 'modifies the Windows Registry', or 'overwrites registry keys' to maintain persistence.

T1484.001Group Policy ModificationEvidence1

In at least one incident, FIN12 used GPOs, scheduled tasks, and WebDAV to execute a RYUK payload hosted on a network file share.

T1553.002Code SigningEvidence1

FIN12 has frequently leveraged code-signed payloads in their operations.

Discovery

6 techniques
T1016System Network Configuration DiscoveryEvidence1

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors using commands and APIs such as ipconfig /all, ifconfig, arp -a, route print, nbtstat, netsh, GetAdaptersInfo, and GetIpNetTable to gather IP addresses, MAC addresses, DNS, DHCP, gateways, routing tables, ARP cache, proxy settings, domains, and network adapter/interface details.

T1057Process DiscoveryEvidence1

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors obtaining lists of running processes, using utilities such as tasklist, ps, WMI, Get-Process, CreateToolhelp32Snapshot, EnumProcesses, and similar APIs/commands to enumerate active processes on victim systems.

T1083File and Directory DiscoveryEvidence1

The content repeatedly describes malware and threat actors listing files and directories, enumerating drives, searching for files by extension/name/path, retrieving file metadata, and browsing file systems (for example: "APT28 has used Forfiles to locate PDF, Excel, and Word documents during collection" and "cmd can be used to find files and directories with native functionality such as dir commands").

T1087.001Local AccountEvidence1

title: Suspicious Group And Account Reconnaissance Activity Using Net.EXE ... Detects suspicious reconnaissance command line activity on Windows systems using Net.EXE ... tags: - attack.discovery - attack.t1087.001 - attack.t1087.002

T1087.002Domain AccountEvidence1

selection_accounts_root: CommandLine|contains: ' accounts ' ... selection_accounts_flags: CommandLine|contains: ' /do' # short for domain ... tags: - attack.discovery - attack.t1087.001 - attack.t1087.002

T1614.001System Language DiscoveryEvidence1

Avaddon checks for specific keyboard layouts and OS languages to avoid targeting Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) entities... Bazar can perform a check to ensure that the operating system's keyboard and language settings are not set to Russian... Clop has checked the keyboard language using the GetKeyboardLayout() function... Ryuk has been observed to query the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\Language and the value InstallLanguage.

Lateral Movement

3 techniques
T1021Remote ServicesEvidence1

During Operation CuckooBees, the threat actors used scheduled tasks to execute batch scripts for lateral movement with the following command: SCHTASKS /Create /S <IP Address> /U <Username> /p <Password> /SC ONCE /TN test /TR <Path to a Batch File> /ST <Time> /RU SYSTEM.

T1021.001Remote Desktop ProtocolEvidence1

FIN12 has deployed RYUK manually via RDP in multiple intrusions.

T1021.002SMB/Windows Admin SharesEvidence1

FIN12 has most commonly moved laterally across victim environments using valid credentials in combination with BEACON, EMPIRE, RDP, and SMB.

Collection

1 technique
T1074Data StagedEvidence1

FIN12 stages a ZIP archive with the filename share$.zip in the C:\PerfLogs directory on a domain controller.

Command and Control

1 technique
T1105Ingress Tool TransferEvidence2

What made EMOTET so dangerous is that the malware was offered for hire to other cybercriminals to install other types of malware, such as banking Trojans or ransomwares, onto a victim’s computer.

Impact

2 techniques
T1486Data Encrypted for ImpactEvidence10

Techniques → T1486 (Data Encrypted for Impact), T1490 (Inhibit System Recovery)

T1490Inhibit System RecoveryEvidence3

Techniques → T1486 (Data Encrypted for Impact), T1490 (Inhibit System Recovery)

Other

1 technique
T1562Impair DefensesEvidence1

The content repeatedly describes threat actors and malware disabling, stopping, uninstalling, or modifying antivirus, EDR, Windows Defender, AMSI, logging, and other security controls.

INDICATORS OF COMPROMISE

IOCs tracked for this family

134 indicators attributed across vendor reports, sandbox runs, and researcher write-ups. Full values are available in Mallory.

View more in app
Network
134 tracked

IPs, domains, and DNS infrastructure linked to this family.

TypeValueLatest sighting
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app11 days ago
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app1 year ago
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app1 year ago
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app6 years ago
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app6 years ago
domain●●●●●●●●●●●●View more in app6 years ago
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IOC matching134

Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.

Threat actor attribution12

Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.

Exploited vulnerabilities1

CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

MITRE ATT&CK mapping32

Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.

Researcher chatter

Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.