Open-Source Builder for Prince Ransomware Discovered Available on GitHub

The emergence of “Prince Ransomware,” an open-source ransomware builder previously available on GitHub, marks a troubling shift in the cybersecurity landscape.  

The builder’s automation and ease of customization have led to several variants, such as “Black (Prince),” “Wenda,” and “UwU,” differing only in extensions and ransom notes.

Written in Go, the tool enables cybercriminals with limited skills to create and launch ransomware using advanced encryption methods like ChaCha20 and ECIES, GBHackers reports.

A recent attack on a regional hospital in Taiwan demonstrates the dangers of these tools. The attack began with a USB-delivered infection that escalated after assessing the network, eventually encrypting over 600 devices across two branches.  

The ransomware, called “CrazyHunter,” was created using the Prince Ransomware builder and deployed through a malicious package named “bb2.zip.”

Key components included CrazyHunter.exe for encryption, SharpGPOAbuse for lateral movement via GPOs, a data exfiltration tool (File.exe), and the Zemana Anti-Logger Driver (zam64.sys) exploited through the “Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver” technique.  

Tools like “go.exe” and “go2.exe” were also used to disable antivirus software by exploiting driver vulnerabilities

Takeaway: The Prince Ransomware builder being freely available on GitHub is a glimpse into where ransomware may be headed—and it’s not great news.  

We’ve seen ransomware evolve from individual operators demanding a few hundred bucks into an entire ransomware economy with a well-oiled SaaS-like business model replete with specialists like the RaaS platform developers, initial access brokers, affiliate attackers, technical support, negotiation teams, and seven-figure ransom demands.  

But that kind of high-profile success brings heat—law enforcement, sanctions, global coordination. So, what could be next? A swing back to the individual attacker, now armed with open-source and rentable tools that are decidedly effective.

That’s what makes this trend potentially very dangerous. Someone no longer needs to know how to write a ransomware payload from scratch. They just download a builder like Prince, tweak a config file, and boom—they’re in business.  

In this scenario, they're not holding Fortune 500s to ransom for tens of millions of dollars, they’re targeting smaller orgs that are likely to be easier prey with less defenses, who still can’t afford downtime and may be willing to pay smaller ransom demands.

The barriers to entry to become a successful ransomware operator are basically gone, and with that, the volume of attacks is likely to rise. While there may be fewer headlines and smaller ransoms demanded, there could be far more incidents that together add up to a net increase in losses.

This democratization of ransomware tooling reshapes the threat landscape, it means organizations of all sizes have to be ready for a constant barrage of less predictable attacks from a wider range of threat actors.  

It’s going to require a shift in mindset from focusing only on the high-profile threats to building resilient, always-on defenses that assume compromise and focus on response and containment, because the future of ransomware is no longer elite. It’s everyone and anyone.

Halcyon.ai eliminates the business impact of ransomware. Modern enterprises rely on Halcyon to prevent ransomware attacks, eradicating cybercriminals’ ability to encrypt systems, steal data, and extort companies – talk to a Halcyon expert today to find out more, and check out our quarterly RaaS and extortion group reference guide, Power Rankings: Ransomware Malicious Quartile.