Royal / Zeon ransomware / DEV-0569

Updated on 2023-01-04

The Royal ransomware gang claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on the Queensland University of Technology, Australia, and started leaking data reportedly stolen during the breach. Read more: Cybersecurity incident

Updated on 2022-12-29

The Royal ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack against telecommunications company Intrado. As proof of the breach, the gang shared a 52.8MB archive containing scans of passports, business documents, and driver’s licenses of employees. Read more: Royal ransomware claims attack on Intrado telecom provider

Updated on 2022-12-22

New report by NCC Group revealed that ransomware attacks surged by 41% in November, with Royal ransomware (associated with Conti Team One) claiming the first place accounting for 16% of all attacks. Read more: NCC Group Monthly Threat Pulse – November 2022

Updated on 2022-12-21

Trend Micro has formally linked the Royal ransomware operation to one of the smaller groups that have splintered off the Conti ransomware. The ransomware was also previously known as the Zeon ransomware. Read more: Conti Team One Splinter Group Resurfaces as Royal Ransomware with Callback Phishing Attacks

Updated on 2022-12-16

Cybereason researchers have a breakdown of the Royal ransomware operation, which they said appears to be comprised of “former members of other ransomware groups.” Read more: Royal Rumble: Analysis of Royal Ransomware

Updated on 2022-12-08

The HC3 published a new warning against the relatively new Royal ransomware group that has been targeting healthcare entities in the U.S. Read more: HC3: Analyst Note

Updated on 2022-12-06: HHS Warning on Royal Ransomware

The US Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) has published an analyst note warning of the threat of the Royal ransomware being used against networks of healthcare organizations. Royal appears to be a human-operated, rather than automated, ransomware operation.

Note

• While the cyber threat warning is specific to the Royal ransomware and healthcare sector, cyber gangs don’t divvy up critical infrastructure sectors amongst themselves. It’s more about a quick payout; ransomware gangs are targeting every infrastructure sector. That said, don’t let a good warning go to waste; revisit your cyber defense plan and its implementation.

Read more in

• HC3 Analyst Note: Royal Ransomware (PDF)
• HC3: Royal Ransomware Impacts Healthcare Sector
• HHS warns Royal ransomware threat targeting healthcare providers

Updated on 2022-11-18: DEV-0569 and Royal ransomware

Microsoft has published a report on a threat actor it tracks as DEV-0569, which the company says it saw deploying the Royal ransomware on high-value systems it was infecting via malvertising and contact form phishing schemes. Read more: DEV-0569 finds new ways to deliver Royal ransomware, various payloads

Updated on 2022-11-15

SecurityScorecard’s Vlad Pasca has a technical breakdown of the new Royal ransomware strain. Read more: A Technical Analysis of Royal Ransomware

Updated on 2022-10-17:

Fortinet’s threat team published a report on the new Royal (Zeon) ransomware, an operation that launched earlier in January this year and has been focusing attacks on enterprise networks. Read more:

• Ransomware Roundup: Royal Ransomware
• WATCHTOWER Intelligence-Driven Threat Hunting October 2022

Updated on 2022-11-11: Silverstone F1 circuit incident

In one of the weirdest targets to ever get hit by ransomware, the operators of the Silverstone Formula 1 circuit appear to have been hit by the Royal ransomware gang. Read more: Silverstone Formula One circuit posted on ransomware leak site

The Royal ransomware gang claimed credit for attacking Silverstone Circuits, a U.K motor racing circuit. Investigation is underway. Read more: Popular UK motor racing circuit investigating ransomware attack

Overview: New ransomware operation

Several security researchers have been tracking a new private ransomware affiliate program called Royal / Zeon which launched earlier this year in January and has focused solely on large corporate network attacks.

Read more in

• New Royal Ransomware emerges in multi-million dollar attacks
• Zeon Ransomware