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Ransomware Reaches Critical Mass: Play
In a stark and troubling update, the FBI—alongside CISA and the Australian Cyber Security Centre—has revealed that the Play ransomware gang has breached approximately 900 organizations globally as of May 2025. This is a dramatic escalation compared to the 300 victims reported in October 2023. First detected in June 2022, the Play ransomware group, also referred to as Playcrypt, has systematically targeted businesses and critical infrastructure across North America, South America, and Europe, quickly becoming one of the most aggressive ransomware actors of 2024.
What sets Play apart is its stealthy and adaptive tactics. The gang uses recompiled malware in every attack to bypass detection tools and make mitigation more complex. In a particularly chilling twist, some victims have received threatening phone calls demanding ransom payments under the threat of leaking stolen data online. This psychological warfare adds a dangerous layer to the technical breach, increasing pressure on victimized organizations.
Play ransomware attacks have been facilitated by initial access brokers exploiting multiple critical vulnerabilities—specifically CVE-2024-57726, CVE-2024-57727, and CVE-2024-57728—within remote monitoring and management tools, allowing threat actors to gain unauthorized access and embed backdoors for future operations. A highlighted case involves the compromise of SimpleHelp RMM clients, where attackers created admin accounts and installed Sliver beacons, preparing the groundwork for more ransomware strikes.
Unlike many ransomware groups that use Tor-based negotiation portals, Play relies solely on email communication, maintaining tighter control over ransom dialogues. Additionally, the group utilizes a custom VSS Copying Tool that enables it to extract data even from shadow volume copies, bypassing typical recovery defenses.
The Play group’s victims are no small names. High-profile breaches include Rackspace, the City of Oakland, Dallas County, Arnold Clark, Antwerp in Belgium, Krispy Kreme, and Microchip Technology. These incidents show the wide-ranging impact across sectors, from government and retail to critical infrastructure and technology.
In response, cybersecurity authorities strongly advise organizations to update systems regularly, enable multifactor authentication on sensitive services, maintain offline backups, and develop robust recovery procedures. These measures are now seen as essential not just for IT resilience, but for survival in an increasingly hostile digital world.
What Undercode Say:
The meteoric rise of Play ransomware highlights a disturbing evolution in cybercrime: targeted, persistent, and deeply strategic. In just three years, the Play group has gone from relative obscurity to becoming one of the most feared names in ransomware. Their calculated shift to recompiled malware per attack shows a clear understanding of how cybersecurity tools operate, indicating a level of technical expertise that’s outpacing standard defense mechanisms.
The fact that the FBI now acknowledges 900 confirmed victims—three times more than previously reported—underscores just how effective and widespread these campaigns have become. This is not merely opportunistic hacking. It’s organized, sustained cyber warfare.
One critical concern is the group’s approach to negotiation. By removing the use of Tor portals and conducting communication strictly via email, Play adds a layer of unpredictability to ransom negotiations. This method makes it harder for cybersecurity firms to track patterns and deploy uniform countermeasures. Victims are left to navigate a one-on-one pressure campaign without the benefit of established playbooks or external help.
The exploitation of remote management tools is a particularly worrying trend. These platforms, intended to streamline IT operations, have become backdoors for sophisticated breaches. The use of vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-57726 through CVE-2024-57728 signals a deeper reliance on zero-day exploitation and reveals how attackers are focusing on infrastructure-level entry points.
The psychological component—phone calls to victims—is also worth noting. It represents an escalation from digital to direct intimidation, a move designed to trigger faster ransom compliance. This shift mirrors tactics seen in advanced persistent threat (APT) groups rather than traditional cybercriminal gangs.
Perhaps most striking is
The selection of victims also shows strategic targeting. From tech firms and government offices to retailers and food chains, Play isn’t hitting random targets—it’s zeroing in on sectors that either handle sensitive data or cannot afford downtime. That increases the likelihood of a ransom payment, maximizing financial gain while creating waves across entire industries.
Finally, the collaborative advisory from the FBI, CISA, and ACSC sends a strong message: the threat of Play ransomware is not regional, it’s global. Cybersecurity must now be viewed as a matter of national interest, economic stability, and organizational survival. The Play gang has proven that even top-tier enterprises are vulnerable, and the path forward demands vigilance, investment in cybersecurity infrastructure, and a deeper understanding of how these ransomware ecosystems operate.
Fact Checker Results:
✅ Confirmed victim count of 900 as of May 2025
✅ Exploitation of new RMM vulnerabilities (CVE-2024-57726 to 57728)
⚠️ Unique approach via email negotiation and phone threats verified
Prediction:
📈 The Play ransomware group will likely continue evolving with more polymorphic tools and advanced tactics
🔐 Expect a sharp rise in security investment for remote monitoring tools and shadow copy defenses
🌍 International cooperation will intensify, possibly leading to sanctions or takedowns targeting the Play infrastructure
References:
Reported By: www.bleepingcomputer.com
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