Knight Ransomware Group's Latest Attack

Knight ransomware group claimed an attack on Grupo SCA. The group allegedly exfiltrated more than 100GB of data, including confidential documents, clients' data, invoices, and financial records. A sample of this data has been leaked, with a ransom deadline set for 25 January 2024. The Madrid-based company had previously fallen victim to the NoEscape ransomware group on August 2023, when the criminal group claimed to have exfiltrated 205GB of data. Grupo SCA offers a wide variety of business consultancy services on digital transformation and corporate finance.

Knight Ransomware Evolution

Knight ransomware first came to attention in July when the group overhauled the interface and code of the Cyclops ransomware. As part of their operation, they continue to recruit affiliates through the RAMP hacking forum to enhance their ability to steal data from both Windows and Linux systems. In addition to their regular encryptors, the Knight ransomware operation offers a 'lite' version suitable for spam, spray-and-pray, and batch distribution campaigns.

Deceptive Tactics Employed

The Knight ransomware gang employs an HTML attachment labeled 'TripAdvisor-Complaint-[random].PDF.htm,' which redirects users to a deceptive web browser interface impersonating TripAdvisor. Within this simulated browser window, users are prompted to review a restaurant complaint, but it is, in fact, a ruse. When users click on the 'Read Complaint' button, an Excel file titled 'TripAdvisor_Complaint-Possible-Suspension.xll' is downloaded onto their system. This download subsequently triggers the activation of ransomware.

The Knight Lite ransomware encryptor, injected into a new explorer.exe process, is utilized to encrypt files on targeted computers. Following encryption, the encrypted files' names are appended with the '.knight_1' extension, where '1' indicates the lite version. Subsequently, the ransomware generates a ransom note in each folder on the compromised computer, demanding a payment of $5,000 to be sent to a provided Bitcoin address.