Full Report
2025-01-14 • RedSense • Landon Rice, Marley Smith, Yelisey Bohuslavskiy • elf.blacksuit, elf.royal_ransom, ps1.royal_ransom, win.blacksuit, win.royal_ransom Open article on Malpedia
Analysis Summary
The provided text **does not contain a complete article description** suitable for deriving a structured threat actor summary. The input consists only of metadata, links, and related topic indicators (e.g., "Royal to BlackSuit," malware names, dates, and publication details).
Therefore, a complete summary based on the required criteria cannot be generated. Below is the structure populated with the *inferred* entities mentioned in the provided context fragments, assuming the article discusses the transition or relationship between the mentioned ransomware groups.
# Threat Actor: Royal Ransomware / BlackSuit
## Attribution & Identity
The context suggests a relationship or transition between groups known as **Royal** and **BlackSuit**. Other associated ransomware families mentioned in the related articles include BlackCat, Conti, AvosLocker, Black Basta, BlackByte, HelloKitty, and Hive.
## Activity Summary
The provided context does not detail specific historical activities or campaigns for Royal or BlackSuit, only referencing related articles concerning **Costa Rica Government Ransomware Intrusion** (associated with Cobalt Strike usage) and the transition away from the **Conti** brand.
## Tactics, Techniques & Procedures
- **Implied TTPs from related articles:** Cobalt Strike usage is explicitly mentioned in a related article analysis.
- **TTPs specific to Royal/BlackSuit:** Not detailed in the context provided.
## Targeting
- **Sectors:** Not specified in the context provided.
- **Geography:** Not specified in the context provided.
- **Victims:** Not specified in the context provided.
## Tools & Infrastructure
- **Malware families used:** Royal Ransomware, BlackSuit (implied, based on the transition note). Related tools mentioned include Cobalt Strike.
- **Infrastructure (C2, domains, IPs - defang URLs):** No specific infrastructure details provided.
## Implications
The existence of an open proposal to transition "From Royal to BlackSuit" suggests operational evolution, rebranding, or a shift in infrastructure/affiliate structure common in the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) ecosystem.
## Mitigations
Specific mitigations for Royal/BlackSuit are not detailed. General mitigations applicable to ransomware threat actors like those mentioned would include:
- Robust EDR/XDR monitoring for Cobalt Strike activity.
- Strong segmentation and backup strategies to counter destructive ransomware impact.