Ransomware Groups Disable EDR, Backups and Windows Telemetry Before Encryption
Ransomware groups are prioritizing the disablement of security tools, backup systems, and Windows telemetry mechanisms before beginning encryption. The goal is to reduce organizations' ability to detect, contain, and recover from attacks.
An analysis of the ten families with the lowest prevention rates in 2026 showed that Play performed worst, blocking only 13 percent of attacks. BlackByte followed with 25 percent blocked, while LockBit achieved 30 percent blocked.
Among the most common techniques is the interruption or modification of defensive tools. BabLock, for example, uses a legitimate uninstaller to remove endpoint protection and terminates processes related to antivirus, EDR, backup, and database applications. After these steps, the ransomware deletes the Security and System event logs, eliminating critical records for incident response teams and complicating reconstruction of attacker activity.
LockBit 5.0 takes a different approach by interfering with Event Tracing for Windows, the mechanism used by many security solutions to collect events. This change prevents certain information from being recorded and reduces visibility for monitoring tools.
Other families rely on process injection, direct in-memory code execution, registry alterations, file disguise, and abuse of legitimate Windows utilities to conceal their operations.
Related articles
Chinese Courts Hand Down 16-Year and 32-Year Sentences to Ransomware Operators
Two individuals involved in ransomware operations have received lengthy prison terms in China, with one sentenced to 16 years and the other to 32 years. The cases underscore Beijing's increasing focus on prosecuting ransomware-related crimes. The longer sentence reflects the scale and impact of the criminal activity attributed to the second defendant. Chinese authorities have publicly highlighted these outcomes as part of broader efforts against cyber extortion. The rulings send a clear deterrent message to ransomware actors operating within or targeting Chinese infrastructure.
Telegram Removed from App Store After Extortionist Plants AI-Modified CSAM in Archived Message
Pavel Durov stated that an extortionist edited an old public group message by inserting AI-altered child sexual abuse material, allowing the post to evade detection by active chat participants while enabling a direct report to Apple. The tactic triggered automatic removal of Telegram and experimental Telegram X from the App Store in multiple countries including Russia, Turkey, and the United States on August 4. Apple restored the applications after Telegram deleted the prohibited content and blocked the responsible account, with the entire outage lasting approximately ninety minutes. During the incident, push notifications failed for some iOS users, while macOS and Android versions remained unaffected. Durov criticized Apple for suspending the app without prior contact and warned that the same mechanism could be used against any user-generated content platform. Telegram urged Apple to apply equal scrutiny to all incoming reports rather than acting on isolated complaints that bypass normal moderation filters.
Cl0p Exploits Critical Windchill Vulnerability CVE-2026-12569 to Steal Industrial Designs
The Cl0p extortion group is actively targeting internet-exposed PTC Windchill and FlexPLM servers to exfiltrate engineering projects, technical specifications, and other sensitive data. The campaign focuses on organizations in the industrial, automotive, aerospace, defense, and retail sectors. Attackers leverage the critical remote code execution vulnerability CVE-2026-12569, which stems from unsafe deserialization and carries a CVSS score of 9.8, allowing unauthenticated exploitation over the network. The intrusion chain also combines a WSDL endpoint information disclosure in FlexPLM with a login mechanism weakness in Windchill to gain initial access and execute commands without valid credentials. After compromise, operators deploy JSP web shells to maintain persistence, explore files, and prepare data for exfiltration. Affected systems often contain unreleased product designs, engineering drawings, and strategic manufacturing documents. The activity began in early June 2026, with extortion emails sent to hundreds of employees starting July 20 to increase internal pressure ahead of potential data leaks.
Chaos Ransomware Group Uses msaRAT Trojan to Hide C2 Traffic Through Invisible Chrome and Edge Browsers
The Chaos ransomware group has adopted a new Rust-based trojan called msaRAT to conceal its command-and-control communications inside legitimate browser sessions. The malware launches Chrome or Edge in invisible mode and controls it via the Chrome DevTools Protocol, keeping all outbound traffic restricted to localhost. It then injects JavaScript to negotiate a WebRTC connection through Cloudflare Workers before routing data over Twilio TURN servers, preventing the attackers' real infrastructure from appearing in network logs. Commands are executed through cmd.exe, and the implant includes queuing mechanisms that support reliable transfer of files, screenshots, and larger data volumes. In the analyzed incident, operators delivered the malware via an MSI installer disguised as a Windows update that loaded the msaRAT DLL directly into memory. The technique does not exploit any vulnerabilities in Chrome or Edge and is designed to blend malicious traffic with normal corporate browser activity.