Rhysida Ransomware Attack on Kaunas University of Technology

Rhysida ransomware group claimed an attack against Kaunas University of Technology. According to the institution "The incident may have allowed malicious persons to gain unauthorised access to the following data of University employees: name, surname, personal identification number, residential address, telephone number, e-mail address, registration number of private cars." The University advised students and personnel to "treat the data as leaked."

Kaunas University of Technology (abbreviated as KTU) is a public research university located in Kaunas, Lithuania. Established in 1922, KTU has been one of Lithuania's top science education centers. According to rankings conducted in 2021, KTU was the second-best university in Lithuania.

The Emergence of Rhysida Ransomware Group

The Rhysida ransomware group emerged in May 2023 and introduced a victim support chat portal on the TOR network. They present themselves as a "cybersecurity team" and claim to be helping their victims by targeting their systems and exposing potential security issues. Rhysida deploys its ransomware through various methods, including Cobalt Strike or similar frameworks, as well as phishing campaigns.

Analysis of Rhysida ransomware samples suggests that the group is still in the early stages of development. The ransomware lacks certain standard features in contemporary ransomware, such as VSS removal. However, the group follows the practices of modern multi-extortion groups by threatening to distribute the stolen data publicly.

Attack Methodology and Victim Communication

Upon execution, Rhysida displays a cmd.exe window and scans all files on local drives. Victims are instructed to contact the attackers using the TOR-based portal and their unique identifier provided in the ransom notes. The group only accepts payment in Bitcoin (BTC) and provides victims with instructions on purchasing and using BTC through the victim portal. Victims are also given an additional form on the payment portal to provide authentication and contact details to the attackers.

The Rhysida ransom notes are written as PDF documents and placed in the affected folders on the targeted drives.