Sorry Ransomware Exploits cPanel Vulnerability to Directly Lock Linux Servers in Multiple Chinese Incidents
China's National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center has issued an alert after multiple real-world incidents involving the Sorry ransomware. The malware reaches internet-facing Linux web servers through a cPanel authorization vulnerability (CNNVD-202604-5641, CVE-2026-41940) and operates without any phishing emails or user mistakes.
Last Friday at 10:30 p.m., an ERP implementation specialist received an urgent call from a manufacturing client whose entire business system had become inaccessible. Every file now carried the .sorry extension, and a ransom note instructed victims to download an encrypted messaging tool to negotiate payment. On-site inspection revealed stopped databases, killed backup services, and fully encrypted website files, all achieved without any visible signs of compromise.
Attack vector and stealth techniques
Unlike typical ransomware that relies on email attachments, Sorry is written in Go and directly exploits a cPanel flaw to obtain server management rights. Once inside, the malware masquerades as the standard sshd process, making detection difficult for system administrators. The same binary runs on most mainstream Linux distributions, including domestic Xinchuang operating systems now being deployed in government, finance, energy, and healthcare sectors.
Six-stage attack chain
- Network intrusion: Silent deployment via the cPanel vulnerability and process masquerading.
- Environment reconnaissance: Collection of username, hostname, CPU count, OS version, and network interfaces sent back to the attackers.
- Obstacle removal: Termination of database, security, and backup services.
- Data theft: Exfiltration of business data and documents for potential double extortion.
- Encryption: AES encryption of files followed by RSA protection of the AES key; all files receive the .sorry suffix.
- Lateral movement: Scanning of ports 22, 2222, and 22222 for weak SSH passwords to spread across the internal network.
Small and medium-sized enterprises remain the primary targets because they often expose cPanel panels directly to the internet, reuse weak passwords, and lack offline backups. The center recommends immediate version checks and updates for cPanel, WHM, and WP Squared, strict network exposure reduction through VPNs or bastion hosts, strong unique credentials, up-to-date Linux antivirus with real-time monitoring, truly offline backups, and verification of suspicious files via the national analysis platform before execution.
Related articles
Ransomware Operators Linked to The Gentlemen Deploy TukTuk C2 Framework for Espionage and Credential Theft
Operators associated with the ransomware group The Gentlemen have adopted a new command-and-control framework called TukTuk to steal credentials, monitor compromised systems, and prepare environments for ransomware deployment. The framework was discovered on a server that also hosted tools for disabling EDR solutions, research on vulnerable drivers, and data apparently stolen from two large organizations. TukTuk includes agents for both Windows and Linux, along with its own backend and management panel that allows remote command execution, file transfers, screen capture, and device tracking through a single interface. One notable feature displays a fake Windows Security window on the victim's machine to capture entered credentials and send them directly to the attackers' panel. Researchers identified a DLL sideloading technique that abuses the legitimate Greenshot.exe executable to load a malicious log4net.dll library and launch the TukTuk agent. The server also contained EDRKiller, WarsawKiller, and UnknownKiller tools, plus materials on BYOVD attacks that leverage vulnerable legitimate drivers to gain kernel access and interfere with security products.
The Evolution of Ransomware: From 1989 Floppy Disks to Multi-Million Dollar Extortion Empires
Ransomware has transformed dramatically since its origins in 1989, when evolutionary biologist Joseph Popp mailed AIDS-themed floppy disks demanding $189 via Panamanian mail. Early experiments like GPCode and Archiveus introduced stronger cryptography by the mid-2000s, while Reveton and CryptoLocker in 2012-2013 combined psychological pressure, Gameover Zeus botnets, and Bitcoin payments. Major incidents such as WannaCry, NotPetya, and attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS Foods demonstrated global reach and state-level involvement. Modern groups like REvil, LockBit, Maze, and Akira refined double extortion, Ransomware-as-a-Service models, access brokers, and virtualization targeting. Law enforcement operations have disrupted infrastructure repeatedly, yet the market fragments and regenerates with new brands. The core business model remains resilient due to easy initial access, layered extortion tactics, and victims' operational dependencies.
Ragnarök: F6 Investigates VantaCore Ransomware Attacks and Suspected Thor Rebrand
F6's Digital Forensics Laboratory has identified a new ransomware group called VantaCore that has struck at least seven Russian organizations with multimillion-dollar ransom demands. Researchers assess VantaCore as a rebrand of the previously known pro-Ukrainian Thor group, part of a broader consolidation among such actors in 2025–2026. The group abandoned LockBit 3 Black and Babuk in favor of its own VantaCore ransomware built on similar foundations, while deploying custom tools including VantaCoreLoader, VantaCoreRAT, and the SnowKiller BYOVD utility. VantaCore maintains a Tor-based data leak site launched no later than June 2026 and uses double and triple extortion tactics, selling or publicly releasing stolen data after encryption. Initial access relies on exposed RDP, VPN, public application vulnerabilities, and compromised partner credentials, followed by lateral movement via legitimate accounts and SMB/RDP. The group disables security products, clears logs, and destroys backups using Bootice before deploying its ChaCha20/X25519 ransomware via manual RDP sessions or automated loaders.
Ransomware Group TITAN Deploys Local AI on AMD EPYC Servers to Accelerate Stolen Data Analysis
The TITAN ransomware group has announced the integration of an on-premises artificial intelligence platform designed to process up to 700 GB of exfiltrated data per hour. Operating as a ransomware-as-a-service model since May 2026, TITAN combines file encryption with data theft and has already published 24 victims across 10 countries. Manufacturing and professional services firms account for 29 percent of the targeted organizations. The AI system runs locally on AMD EPYC servers with GPU acceleration and automatically classifies financial documents, legal records, personal data, trade secrets, and intellectual property. It further identifies information with high reputational or regulatory impact, maps corporate and personal relationships, and estimates potential penalties under data-protection laws. The group also claims the platform can generate automated notifications to regulators and media outlets to intensify extortion pressure.