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 |
|---|---|---|
| Infinity Systems | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| Serrano Industries | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| Helen Kaminski | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| Byard F Brogan | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| Facilities USA | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| Southern Concrete Construction | · Mar 8, 2026 | — |
| T a Solberg | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| Don E Bower | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| Design To Print | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| Select Tool | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| DFW Aero Mechanix | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| Garland Williams & Associates | · Mar 6, 2026 | — |
| Equine Canada | · Mar 3, 2026 | — |
| GapVax | · Mar 3, 2026 | — |
| Gordon/Clifford Realty | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Cabka | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| The Kuker Group | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| LRA Constructors | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Cobblestone Creek Country Club | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Project Consulting Services | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Go Professional Cases | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| WCC Technologies Group | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Favaro Lavezzo Gill Caretti | · Mar 2, 2026 | — |
| Landmark Rehab Group | · Feb 26, 2026 | — |
| BT Services | · Feb 26, 2026 | — |
| Integrity Building | · Feb 26, 2026 | — |
| Atlantic Design Engineers | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Faulkner+Locke | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Hendrick Construction | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Young & Associates Consulting Engineers | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| PenLink | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Gulfstream Services | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Chemical Computing Group | · Feb 22, 2026 | — |
| Sika Technology | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Paisley Products of Canada | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Kirbor Homes | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Tropic Tool & Mold | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Arizona Lighting Sales | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Indianapolis Car Exchange | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Oklahoma Auto Exchange | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Auto Auction of New England | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Spring Brook Country Club | · Feb 19, 2026 | — |
| Branagh | · Feb 15, 2026 | — |
| Heartland Title Services | · Feb 13, 2026 | — |
| UCG Associates | · Feb 13, 2026 | — |
| Unified Engineering | · Feb 13, 2026 | — |
| HMA | · Feb 13, 2026 | — |
| Lusamerica Foods | · Feb 13, 2026 | — |
| Altak | · Feb 11, 2026 | — |
| Catalanatto & Barnes | · Feb 11, 2026 | — |
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