Description Summary
Embargo is a Rust-based ransomware-as-a-service that emerged in mid-2024. It is assessed by ESET to be a possible rebrand of (or share infrastructure with) the BlackCat/ALPHV operation, with very similar code structure and configuration handling. Embargo operates a Tor leak site and uses double extortion.
Threat Actor
Closed operator group; assessed BlackCat/ALPHV rebrand or successor (Rust, similar leak site, shared on-chain wallets); experimenting with AI for phishing/payloads.
Technical Indicators
Encryption Extension
.564ba1 (variable)
Encryption Algorithm
ChaCha20 + Curve25519 (Rust implementation)
Ransom Note Name
HOW_TO_RECOVER_FILES.txt
Targeted Industries
Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing
First Seen
May 2024
Last Seen
Active (low profile; ~$34M handled)
Geographical Location
United States, Europe
MITRE ATT&CK Matrix
| Tactic | TTP | Technique Name |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Access x 3 | T1566 | Phishing |
| T1190 | Exploit Public-Facing Application | |
| T1078 | Valid Accounts | |
| Execution x 1 | T1059 | Command and Scripting Interpreter |
| Execution Persistence x 1 | T1053 | Scheduled Task/Job |
| Defense Evasion x 2 | T1562.001 | Disable or Modify Tools |
| T1070.004 | File Deletion | |
| Discovery x 2 | T1083 | File and Directory Discovery |
| T1082 | System Information Discovery | |
| Lateral Movement x 2 | T1021.001 | Remote Services: RDP |
| T1021.002 | SMB/Windows Admin Shares | |
| Exfiltration x 2 | T1041 | Exfiltration Over C2 Channel |
| T1567.002 | Exfiltration to Cloud Storage | |
| Impact x 3 | T1486 | Data Encrypted for Impact |
| T1490 | Inhibit System Recovery | |
| T1489 | Service Stop |