DragonForce

July was the worst month for ransomware victim claims in 2026 - or was it? | ZDNET

Security reporting has documented LameHug as the first publicly known malware to integrate a large language model, marking an escalation in the use of generative AI within malicious tooling. The development indicates that AI can be incorporated into malware operations rather than being used solely to create phishing content or assist attackers outside the payload. Separately, ransomware victim listings reached 894 organizations in July 2026, according to NCC Group data cited by ZDNET, with industrial organizations comprising nearly one-third of listed victims. The reporting also identified the first documented fully agentic AI ransomware attack chain, attributed to JadePuffer, amid a surge led by groups including The Gentlemen and Qilin; however, organizations should treat leak-site claims cautiously because some actors, including the new CRPxO RaaS operation, may inflate or fabricate victim listings.

DevMan RaaS Portal Centralizes Payload Builds, Victim Management, and Affiliate Payouts

Researchers say DevMan, also tracked as Funky Mantis, operated a centralized ransomware-as-a-service platform with a dedicated affiliate portal for payload generation, victim management, ransom negotiation, earnings tracking, and internal coordination. PRODAFT reported the group was active from late 2025 into early 2026, used an 80/20 affiliate revenue split, and claimed 184 victims, with the heaviest concentration in the United States across technology, healthcare, financial services, professional services, and government. The operation explicitly pursued hospitals, critical infrastructure, the public sector, and law enforcement, and advertised a separate encryptor for SCADA environments, underscoring its focus on high-impact targets. Technical reporting links DevMan’s malware to DragonForce/Conti lineage while showing the operation evolved beyond a simple variant. Earlier analysis described a DragonForce-based sample marked by the .DEVMAN extension, SMB share probing, rapid encryption, and a builder flaw that encrypted its own ransom notes; later reporting identified a Rust-based Devman Locker using ChaCha20-Poly1305, appending .devman21, dropping RESTORE_FILES.txt, mounting network shares, disabling defenses, deleting shadow copies and event logs, and inhibiting recovery. The latest portal version reportedly supports Windows, Linux, and ESXi lockers and includes features for privilege checks, lateral movement, and security-tool impairment, indicating a mature and centrally managed extortion operation.

Funky Mantis (DevMan) : analyse complète d'un RaaS centralisé ciblant hôpitaux et infrastructures critiques | CyberVeille

'Perimeter defences are prime targets': Security experts issue alert over Palo Alto GlobalProtect VPN exploitation | IT Pro

Arctic Wolf Labs reported multiple intrusions in which threat actors exploited CVE-2026-0257 to gain initial access to victim networks and then quickly deployed Qilin ransomware. The incidents, observed across separate organizations, followed a consistent pattern in which perimeter compromise was followed by rapid movement toward broad encryption activity. The reporting indicates the attacks were distinct events but shared the same intrusion chain, linking exploitation of CVE-2026-0257 directly to domain-wide ransomware deployment. Arctic Wolf attributed the post-compromise activity to Qilin operations, highlighting the vulnerability as a recurring entry point in recent ransomware incidents.

Threat Intelligence Report: Qilin (Agenda) Ransomware | CCB Belgium

Qilin ransomware has emerged as one of the most active cybercrime threats, with NCC Group identifying it as the most prolific ransomware group for the fifth consecutive quarter as global ransomware incidents climbed to 2,229 in Q2 2026. The group, also tracked as Agenda or Qilin Locker, operates a double-extortion RaaS model and has concentrated on high-GDP Western countries while reportedly avoiding CIS member states. Manufacturing and other industrial sectors have been hit hardest, alongside business services, technology, healthcare, and finance, with North America remaining the most affected region and Belgium reporting at least 15 alleged Qilin compromises that disrupted operations and exposed sensitive corporate data.

Ransomware Attacks Rise 3% in Q2 as Supply Chain Compromises Escalate, NCC Group Warns - IT Security Guru

Qilin exploits Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect VPN firewalls | news | SC Media

Qilin Ransomware Claims 1,358 Victims as Global Attacks Reach New Record

Ransomware and cyber-extortion activity rose again in Q2 2026, with industry reporting showing more than 2,250 publicly named victims across roughly 90 active groups and nearly 100 countries. GuidePoint Security’s GRIT report counted 2,279 victims, up 7% from the prior quarter and 43% year over year, while ReliaQuest recorded 2,252 victims and found the United States accounted for about 49% of observed activity. Qilin remained a leading force in one dataset for a fifth straight quarter, while The Gentlemen surged into the top tier and was ranked the most active group by ReliaQuest; DragonForce also remained prominent despite reported declines in some rankings. Professional, scientific, and technical services stayed the most targeted sector, and researchers noted a broader shift toward data-only extortion and continued pressure on organizations through public leak-site exposure. Researchers also highlighted technical changes in attacker tradecraft rather than a wholesale change in ransomware operations. The quarter saw increased use of AI and LLMs by threat actors, including analysis of exfiltrated databases and more tailored extortion messaging, alongside continued exploitation of high-impact vulnerabilities such as CVE-2026-50751, CVE-2026-48027, CVE-2026-46817, and CVE-2026-35273. ReliaQuest identified Deadlock as a notable re-emerging threat after 11 months of silence, using blockchain-hosted command-and-control through a Polygon smart contract and a BYOVD technique to terminate EDR tools via CVE-2024-51324. The reports say supply-chain compromise, remote access abuse, identity attacks, lateral movement, and defense evasion remain central to ransomware operations even as payment rates decline.