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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shows & Artists | · Jun 2, 2023 | — |
| Soroc | · May 30, 2023 | — |
| Black Cat Networks | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Paragon Software Lanka | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Mayberry Investments | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Grupo Corporacion Control | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Studioline Photography | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Optimus Steel | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Xplain | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Royal Centre | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Poly | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| Aria Online | · May 23, 2023 | — |
| SOWITEC | · May 16, 2023 | — |
| Sauerbruch Hutton | · May 11, 2023 | — |
| JP Maguire & Associates | · May 11, 2023 | — |
| Germany | · May 11, 2023 | — |
| KLC Network Services | · May 9, 2023 | — |
| SIVSA, Coremain | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Nova Group | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| City of Lowell | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| DGC | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Libra Virtua | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Commune de Saxon | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Negma Business Solutions | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Vocalcom | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Woonkracht10 | · May 4, 2023 | — |
| Groupe Gambetta | · Apr 22, 2023 | — |
| UECC | · Apr 22, 2023 | — |
| Bang IT Solutions | · Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| Huissiers | · Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| Coldiretti | · Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| Corrib Oil | · Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| Structab AB (MegTax) | · Apr 18, 2023 | — |
| CH Media | · Apr 12, 2023 | — |
| PESA Bydgoszcz | · Apr 11, 2023 | — |
| Palo Alto County Sheriff | · Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| PKF Antares | · Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| Legion Aero | · Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| Vleeswarenfabriek Jac Michiels | · Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| Schirm | · Apr 9, 2023 | — |
| BMW France | · Mar 29, 2023 | — |
| Oscar Software | · Mar 29, 2023 | — |
| Jablite | · Mar 29, 2023 | — |
| Picou Builders Supply | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| Kk Mehta Cpa Associates | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| Lightcast | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| Optica | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| James, McElroy and Diehl | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| Lysander Associates | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
| TAC | · Mar 27, 2023 | — |
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