The leak sites used by the Everest Ransomware gang were hacked and tainted this weekend, TechCrunch learned.
A leak site that forced the victim to pay ransom demand by publishing stolen files, claiming, “Don't commit a crime.”
At the time of writing, the site was still slandered. It is not clear whether the gang experienced a data breach as a result of the hack.
Image credit: TechCrunch (screenshot)
Everest is a prolific Russian-related ransomware gang that has claimed multiple hacking and data breach credits since its founding in 2020, including the theft of data from more than 420,000 customers from cannabis retail chain Stiizy. The US government also attributed several hacks to Everest, including violations of the US space agency NASA and the Brazilian government.
Ransomware (and fear tor) attacks are on the rise, but recent data shows that in 2024 the number of victim payments to hackers has declined overall as more businesses refused to pay a larger ransom.
Law enforcement operations have targeted and confused several ransomware gangs, including lockbit and radar hacking groups, but some ransomware gangs have experienced leaks and interference with damage from within.