Black Basta Ransomware Attack on Großhandel

Black Basta, a Russian-speaking ransomware group, has claimed responsibility for an attack on Großhandel, a retail company operating in Germany. The victim's website is bedarf.de, and the company specializes in providing solutions for the fitness industry, including access control systems, daily necessities, customized products, and office supplies.

Großhandel is a mid-sized company, with a focus on providing comprehensive solutions for sports facilities. The company's website highlights its expertise in tailoring solutions for fitness centers, offering a wide range of products and services to meet the specific needs of its clients.

Background of Black Basta

Black Basta, which emerged in April 2022, has been linked to the Conti group and is known for its double-extortion tactics, where it encrypts data and threatens to publish it unless a ransom is paid. The group has been observed to target a variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and retail, with the United States being the country with the most reported cases.

The attack on Großhandel is part of a broader trend of ransomware attacks, which have increased by 59% in the last year. Black Basta has been particularly active, taking on 9% of ransomware attacks and targeting organizations with a high level of technical and soft skills.

Attack Methodology

The group's tactics include using stolen credentials purchased on the dark web to gain entry, often through phishing emails. They also use a range of tools and remote access methods, such as Qakbot, SystemBC, Mimikatz, ColbaltStrike, and Rclone. Once inside a system, Black Basta performs comprehensive analyses and takes various controls and precautions before the encryption phase.

The attack on Großhandel is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by ransomware groups like Black Basta. Organizations should strengthen their defenses against ransomware attacks by implementing robust security measures, such as patching vulnerabilities, preventing intrusions, detecting intrusions, stopping malicious encryption, creating offsite, offline backups, and removing all traces of the attackers.

Sources

• https://www.bedarf.de
• https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/researchers-say-russia-linked-ransomware-group-has-raked-more-than-100-million-2023-11-29/
• https://socradar.io/dark-web-profile-black-basta-ransomware/
• https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/black-basta-threat-profile.pdf
• https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2024/01/oops-black-basta-ransomware-flubs-encryption/