play
ransomware group · aka Play, PlayCrypt, Water Curupira Pikapilya (Trend Micro tracking name) · unknown; widely assessed as likely Russia-based, though no confirmed attribution · active since 2022
Play (PlayCrypt) is a double-extortion ransomware group first publicly documented in 2022, known for a leak-first extortion model, distinctive ransom notes that omit ransom amounts and contact details, and encryption support for Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD. Victim sectors reported include government facilities, critical infrastructure, education facilities, information technology, healthcare/public health, financial services, and manufacturing, across North America, South America, and Europe. Per the FBI/CISA #StopRansomware advisory update (December 2024), Play had affected approximately 900 organizations worldwide, up from about 300 as of July 2023. The group gains access by exploiting known vulnerabilities in internet-facing appliances and remote-monitoring/management (RMM) software, supplemented by valid-account use. Dashboard tracking: 2 victims in the last 7/30/90 days, 2 total since 2026-09-09; last post 2026-09-09.
- Exploits known vulnerabilities in Fortinet devices for initial access (CVE-2018-13379, CVE-2020-12812, CVE-2020-15310) per FBI/CISA advisory (2024 update)
- Exploited SimpleHelp RMM path-traversal flaw CVE-2024-5776 as an access vector per FBI/CISA advisory (January 2025)
- Uses valid accounts, RDP, and RMM/remote-access tooling for lateral movement and persistence
- Living-off-the-land operations: GPO and scheduled-task deployment, disabling Microsoft Defender, use of batch/PowerShell tooling (FBI/CISA, 2023)
- Exfiltrates victim data before encryption; reported use of rsync for data transfer
- Double extortion via Tor-based 'Play News' leak site; ransom notes characteristically lack ransom amount and initial contact information
- Encrypts across Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD systems
Dallas County, Texas (2023; attribution via widely reported press coverage), Red Star Oil (leak-site post tracked by this dashboard, posted 2026-09-09), GT Distributors (leak-site post tracked by this dashboard, posted 2026-09-09)
No public figure.
Leak-site victims1,282 posts · newest first
| Victim | Discovered | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Red River Title | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Compact Mould | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Winona Pattern & Mold | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Marketon | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Stack Infrastructure | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Coastal Car | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| New Bedford Welding Supply | · Mar 2, 2024 | — |
| Influence Communication | · Mar 1, 2024 | — |
| Kool-air | · Mar 1, 2024 | — |
| FBi Construction | · Mar 1, 2024 | — |
| Gilmore & Associates | · Feb 29, 2024 | — |
| Welch's | · Feb 24, 2024 | — |
| W???h? | · Feb 23, 2024 | — |
| LD Davis | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| von Hagen | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| Norman, Fox | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| HR Ewell & Hy-tec | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| Mechanical Reps | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| Onclusive | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| MeerServices | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| DuBose Strapping | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| SilverLining | · Feb 15, 2024 | — |
| Greenwich Leisure | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Ready Mixed Concrete | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Northeastern Sheet Metal | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Hannon Transport | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| McMillan Pazdan Smith | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Mason Construction | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Albert Bartlett | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Perry-McCall Construction | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Virgin Islands Lottery | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Premier Facility Management | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Douglas County Libraries | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Leaders Staffing | · Feb 6, 2024 | — |
| Innovex Downhole Solutions | · Feb 2, 2024 | — |
| TPG Architecture | · Jan 19, 2024 | — |
| Televerde | · Jan 6, 2024 | — |
| Madison Capital & WPM & The Time Group | · Jan 2, 2024 | — |
| M?????n C?????? & W?? & The ???? G???? | · Dec 31, 2023 | — |
| Keyser Mason Ball | · Dec 30, 2023 | — |
| CVR Associates | · Dec 28, 2023 | — |
| Owen Quilty Professional | · Dec 21, 2023 | — |
| Jon Richard | · Dec 21, 2023 | — |
| Concept Data | · Dec 21, 2023 | — |
| Packaging Solutions | · Dec 21, 2023 | — |
| Richard Harris Personal Injury Law Firm | · Dec 19, 2023 | — |
| Schoepe Display | · Dec 19, 2023 | — |
| Waldner's | · Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| Succes Schoonmaak | · Dec 18, 2023 | — |
| DYWIDAG-Systems & American Transportation | · Dec 18, 2023 | — |
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