CyberHappenings logo
☰
Home Browse Watchlists Experimental About

Track cybersecurity events as they unfold. Sourced timelines. Filter, sort, and browse. Fast, privacy‑respecting. No invasive ads, no tracking.

INC Ransom Gang Disrupts OnSolve CodeRED Emergency Alert Platform

First reported
Last updated
2 unique sources, 3 articles

Summary

Hide ▲

The INC Ransom gang has disrupted the OnSolve CodeRED emergency alert platform, stealing sensitive user data and forcing Crisis24 to decommission the legacy environment. The attack affected emergency notification systems used by state and local governments, police departments, and fire agencies across the United States. Data stolen includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and passwords. The gang claims to have breached the system on November 1, 2025, and encrypted files on November 10, 2025. Crisis24 is rebuilding the service using backups from March 31, 2025, which may result in missing accounts. The incident highlights the critical impact of cyberattacks on emergency services and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. The INC Ransom group has published screenshots of stolen data and is selling samples of the stolen data, escalating concerns among affected agencies. An operational security failure by the INC ransomware gang allowed researchers to recover data stolen from a dozen U.S. organizations. The investigation, conducted by Cyber Centaurs, revealed artifacts from the legitimate backup tool Restic, which exposed attacker infrastructure. The researchers developed a controlled enumeration process that confirmed the presence of encrypted data stolen from 12 unrelated organizations.

Timeline

  1. 22.01.2026 18:21 1 articles · 23h ago

    INC Ransomware Opsec Fail Allows Data Recovery for 12 US Orgs

    An operational security failure by the INC ransomware gang allowed researchers to recover data stolen from a dozen U.S. organizations. The investigation, conducted by Cyber Centaurs, revealed artifacts from the legitimate backup tool Restic, which exposed attacker infrastructure. The researchers developed a controlled enumeration process that confirmed the presence of encrypted data stolen from 12 unrelated organizations. The researchers decrypted the backups and preserved the copies while contacting law enforcement.

    Show sources
    Open in new tab
  2. 25.11.2025 23:48 3 articles · 1mo ago

    INC Ransom Gang Disrupts OnSolve CodeRED Emergency Alert Platform

    The INC Ransom gang has disrupted the OnSolve CodeRED emergency alert platform, stealing sensitive user data and forcing Crisis24 to decommission the legacy environment. The attack affected emergency notification systems used by state and local governments, police departments, and fire agencies across the United States. Data stolen includes names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and passwords. The gang claims to have breached the system on November 1, 2025, and encrypted files on November 10, 2025. Crisis24 is rebuilding the service using backups from March 31, 2025, which may result in missing accounts. The INC Ransom group has published screenshots of stolen data and is selling samples of the stolen data, escalating concerns among affected agencies.

    Show sources
    Open in new tab

Information Snippets

Similar Happenings

Kraken Ransomware Implements System Benchmarking for Encryption Optimization

Kraken ransomware, active since early 2025 and linked to the defunct HelloKitty operation, benchmarks systems to determine optimal encryption methods. The ransomware targets Windows, Linux, and VMware ESXi systems, using temporary files to decide between full or partial encryption. Kraken employs SMB vulnerabilities for initial access, deploys Cloudflared and SSHFS for data exfiltration, and encrypts data based on system performance to avoid detection. Victims include organizations in the US, UK, Canada, Panama, Kuwait, and Denmark. Kraken also operates a cybercrime forum, 'The Last Haven Board,' and demands ransoms up to $1 million in Bitcoin. The group was observed in August 2025 by Cisco Talos, detailing intrusions where SMB flaws were abused for entry, followed by the use of Cloudflare for persistence and SSHFS for data theft before encryption.

Open in new tab

Merkle Breach Exposes Employee and Client Data

Merkle, a US-based subsidiary of Dentsu, experienced a cyberattack resulting in the theft of sensitive employee and client data. The breach was detected through unusual network activity, prompting an incident response and investigation. The stolen data includes bank details, payroll information, and personal contact details. Merkle has notified affected individuals and law enforcement, and is offering credit monitoring and Dark Web monitoring to impacted employees. The nature of the attack remains unknown, but it may involve data extortion or ransomware. The incident highlights the ongoing threat of data theft and the importance of robust incident response protocols.

Open in new tab

Lumma Stealer Activity Declines Following Doxxing of Core Members

Lumma Stealer, a prominent information stealer, has seen a significant drop in activity over the past couple of months. This decline follows the doxxing of five alleged core group members, which exposed personal and operational details. The doxxing campaign, believed to be driven by competitors, has led to a sharp decrease in command-and-control (C&C) infrastructure activity and disrupted the group's communications. The doxxing included sensitive information such as passport numbers, bank account details, and social media profiles. The group's Telegram account was compromised on September 17, 2025, preventing effective communication with customers. As a result, cybercriminals have started seeking alternative information stealers like Vidar and StealC. The disruption has also impacted the pay-per-install (PPI) service Amadey, which was used for Lumma Stealer distribution. The doxxing campaign's consistency and depth suggest insider knowledge or access to compromised accounts and databases.

Open in new tab

Flax Typhoon APT Group Exploits ArcGIS for Persistent Access

The Flax Typhoon APT group, also tracked as Ethereal Panda and RedJuliett, exploited a legitimate ArcGIS application to establish a persistent backdoor for over a year. The attack involved modifying the ArcGIS server’s Java server object extension (SOE) to function as a web shell, enabling command execution, lateral movement, and data exfiltration. The malicious SOE persisted even after remediation and patching, highlighting the need for proactive threat hunting and treating all public-facing applications as high-risk assets. The group targeted a public-facing ArcGIS server connected to an internal server, compromising a portal administrator account and deploying a malicious SOE. They used a base64-encoded payload and a hardcoded key to execute commands and upload a renamed SoftEther VPN executable for long-term access. The attack targeted IT staff workstations within the scanned subnet, demonstrating the potential for significant operational disruption and data exposure. The attackers used a public-facing ArcGIS server connected to a private, internal ArcGIS server for backend computations, a common default configuration. They sent disguised commands to the portal server, creating a hidden system directory that became Flax Typhoon's private workspace. The attackers ensured the compromised component was included in system backups, turning the organization's own recovery plan into a guaranteed method of reinfection. ReliaQuest worked with the customer organization and Esri to fully evict Flax Typhoon actors from the environment, which included rebuilding the entire server stack and deploying custom detections for the threat activity. ReliaQuest urged organizations to treat all public-facing applications as high-risk assets and recommended security teams audit and harden such applications. The researchers also highlighted the need for behavioral analytics to complement signature-based detection, as Flax Typhoon did not use any malware or known malicious files. Strong credential hygiene was emphasized, noting that a weak administrator password gave the attackers a foothold in the organization's network. ReliaQuest recommended implementing multifactor authentication and practicing the principle of least privilege to enhance security. The ArcGIS geographic information system (GIS) is developed by Esri and supports server object extensions (SOE) that can extend basic functionality. The software is used by municipalities, utilities, and infrastructure operators to manage spatial and geographic data through maps. Researchers at cybersecurity company ReliaQuest have moderate confidence that the threat actor is Flax Typhoon. The attackers used valid administrator credentials to log into a public-facing ArcGIS server linked to a private, internal ArcGIS server. The malicious SOE accepted base64-encoded commands through a REST API parameter (layer) and executed them on the internal ArcGIS server. The exchange was protected by a hardcoded secret key, ensuring only the attackers had access to this backdoor. The attackers downloaded and installed SoftEther VPN Bridge, registering it as a Windows service that started automatically. The VPN established an outbound HTTPS tunnel to the attacker's server at 172.86.113[.]142, linking the victim's internal network to the threat actor's machine. The VPN used normal HTTPS traffic on port 443, blending with legitimate traffic, and remained active even if the SOE was detected and deleted. The attackers scanned the local network, moved laterally, accessed internal hosts, dumped credentials, or exfiltrated data using the VPN connection. The attackers targeted two workstations belonging to the target organization's IT staff, attempting to dump the Security Account Manager (SAM) database, security registry keys, and LSA secrets. Flax Typhoon is known for espionage campaigns to establish long-term, stealthy access through legitimate software. The FBI linked Flax Typhoon to the massive "Raptor Train" botnet, impacting the U.S. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned companies that supported the state-sponsored hackers. Esri confirmed this is the first time an SOE has been used this way and will update their documentation to warn users of the risk of malicious SOEs. The attackers used the JavaSimpleRESTSOE ArcGIS extension to invoke a REST operation to run commands on the internal server via the public portal. The attackers specifically targeted two workstations belonging to IT personnel to obtain credentials and further burrow into the network. The attackers reset the password of the administrative account.

Open in new tab

Ransomware Attacks Continue to Evade Defenses Despite Security Efforts

Ransomware remains a top threat to global organizations, with attackers bypassing defenses despite extensive prevention and detection efforts. Double extortion tactics are prevalent, and some groups focus solely on data theft and extortion. The Picus Security Blue Report 2025 reveals a decline in prevention effectiveness, particularly in data exfiltration, highlighting critical gaps in defenses. Security teams must continuously validate their defenses against both known and emerging ransomware strains to ensure readiness. Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) provides real-time validation of defenses, showing where protections stand or fail. The report underscores the need for ongoing testing and validation to address persistent gaps in malware delivery, detection, data exfiltration, and endpoint protection.

Open in new tab