Ardenbrook Ransomware Attack by Play Group

Incident Date:

May 22, 2024

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Overview

Title

Ardenbrook Ransomware Attack by Play Group

Victim

Ardenbrook

Attacker

Play

Location

Fremont, USA

California, USA

First Reported

May 22, 2024

Ransomware Attack on Ardenbrook by Play Ransomware Group

Victim Overview

Ardenbrook, a real estate investment and property management company based in the USA, was targeted by the cybercrime group Play in a ransomware attack. The company has over 70 years of successful real estate experience, indicating a significant size and presence in the industry. Ardenbrook specializes in acquiring and managing residential properties, focusing on providing high-quality housing options for tenants and maximizing returns for investors. The company's long history and extensive experience in the Bay Area and Western United States make it a standout in the real estate development sector.

Attack Details

The attackers exfiltrated an unspecified amount of sensitive data from Ardenbrook, including private and personal confidential information, client documents, budget details, payroll records, accounting data, contracts, tax information, IDs, and financial data. This incident highlights the ongoing risks that businesses face from sophisticated ransomware attacks, which threaten the security of both corporate and personal information. Details about the ransom demand have not been disclosed.

Ransomware Group Profile

The Play ransomware group, operated by Ransom House, is known for targeting Linux systems and has evolved to deploy cryptographic lockers. The group distinguishes itself by transitioning from data theft to deploying ransomware tactics, showcasing a sophisticated evolution in its operations. Play ransomware shares similarities with Baseline Babuk in terms of encryption methods and technical details, using Sosemanuk for encryption. The group has been observed submitting binaries containing various hack tools and utilities associated with ransomware techniques after achieving initial access.

Company Vulnerabilities

Ardenbrook's vulnerabilities in being targeted by threat actors may stem from the sensitive nature of the data they handle, including financial records, client information, and confidential documents. The company's substantial size and presence in the real estate development industry make it an attractive target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit valuable data for financial gain.

Sources:

Recent Ransomware Attacks

The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.

The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.