Ransomware attacks targeting VMware ESXi infrastructure follow a specific pattern, regardless of the type of malware used to encrypt files.
“Virtualization platforms are critical components of an organization’s IT infrastructure, but they often have vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that make them attractive and effective targets for cybercriminals,” cybersecurity firm Sygnia stated in a report shared with The Hacker News.
Through incident response efforts involving various ransomware families, Sygnia found that attacks on virtualization environments have a similar sequence of actions:
- Getting initial access through phishing attacks, malicious downloads, or exploiting known vulnerabilities
- Elevating privileges to obtain ESXi host or vCenter credentials
- Validating access to the virtualization infrastructure and deploying ransomware
- Deleting or encrypting backups to hinder recovery
- Exfiltrating data to external locations
- Propagating the ransomware to other servers and workstations
To mitigate these threats, organizations should have proper monitoring and logging, robust backups, strong authentication measures, hardened environments, and network restrictions in place.
Recent warnings from cybersecurity company Rapid7 highlight an ongoing campaign using malicious ads on search engines to distribute ransomware through trojanized installers.
This campaign shares similarities with previous ransomware attacks, emphasizing the need for vigilance and strong security measures to prevent and respond to such threats.
Additionally, the emergence of new ransomware families further underscores the importance of cybersecurity readiness and proactive measures to protect against evolving threats.
The ransomware landscape continues to evolve, with cybercriminals deploying new tactics and tools to maximize their impact. It’s crucial for organizations to stay informed, proactive, and prepared to defend against these threats.
