May 11, 2023
Server Security / Ransomware
Multiple threat actors have capitalized on the leak of Babuk (aka Babak or Babyk) ransomware code in September 2021 to build as many as nine different ransomware families capable of targeting VMware ESXi systems. "These variants emerged through H2 2022 and H1 2023, which shows an increasing trend of Babuk source code adoption," SentinelOne security researcher Alex Delamotte said in a report shared with The Hacker News. "Leaked source code enables actors to target Linux systems when they may otherwise lack expertise to build a working program." A number of cybercrime groups , both big and small, have set their sights on ESXi hypervisors. What's more, at least three different ransomware strains – Cylance , Rorschach (aka BabLock), and RTM Locker – that have emerged since the start of the year are based on the leaked Babuk source code. SentinelOne's latest analysis shows that this phenomenon is more common, with the cybersecurity company identifyi