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 |
|---|---|---|
| Backstage Library Works | · Aug 4, 2025 | — |
| White Horse Packaging | · Aug 4, 2025 | — |
| Terillium | · Aug 4, 2025 | — |
| Thern | · Jul 31, 2025 | — |
| Quartus Engineering | · Jul 31, 2025 | — |
| Ka Logistics | · Jul 23, 2025 | — |
| DA Whitacre Construction | · Jul 23, 2025 | — |
| Morrison Companies | · Jul 16, 2025 | — |
| IMSSA Manufacturing | · Jul 16, 2025 | — |
| Hulberg & Associates | · Jul 14, 2025 | — |
| Rockrose Development | · Jul 14, 2025 | — |
| EIA Global | · Jul 11, 2025 | — |
| CyberlinkASP | · Jul 11, 2025 | — |
| FormWood Industries | · Jul 11, 2025 | — |
| Wfmt | · Jul 8, 2025 | — |
| Wood, Patel & Associates | · Jul 8, 2025 | — |
| Tyree Oil | · Jul 8, 2025 | — |
| Lee Publications | · Jul 7, 2025 | — |
| Allied Steel Buildings | · Jul 7, 2025 | — |
| Advance Ready Mix | · Jul 7, 2025 | — |
| Whim Hospitality | · Jul 6, 2025 | — |
| JFC Electric | · Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Metric | · Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| All Choice Rentals | · Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Biofloral | · Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Lydig Construction | · Jul 3, 2025 | — |
| Budget Electric | · Jun 29, 2025 | — |
| Carter Manufacturing | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Emtech Inc | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| View Zuellig Industrial | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Islington Golf Club | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Sunrise Springs Spa Resort | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| CGP&H | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Cartel Communication Systems | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Associated Packaging | · Jun 27, 2025 | — |
| Merlin Industries | · Jun 26, 2025 | — |
| Fisher59 | · Jun 23, 2025 | — |
| Ovalstrapping | · Jun 23, 2025 | — |
| Dairy Farmers of America | · Jun 23, 2025 | — |
| Vacation Myrtle Beach | · Jun 19, 2025 | — |
| Place Homes | · Jun 19, 2025 | — |
| Jasper Products | · Jun 16, 2025 | — |
| NF Stroth & Associates | · Jun 16, 2025 | — |
| Project Partners | · Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| S&H Express | · Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| Rollex | · Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| NPD Products | · Jun 14, 2025 | — |
| Homestead Gardens | · Jun 9, 2025 | — |
| Community Choice Credit Union | · Jun 9, 2025 | — |
| Ebac | · Jun 5, 2025 | — |
In the newsAll →
No articles mention this group yet.