Dark Web Profile: Everest Ransomware – SOCRadar

Threat intelligence enriched with External Attack Surface Management, Brand Protection, and Dark Web Radar.
Protect your business from the dangers lurking in the hidden corners of the internet.
Effective threat hunting and threat actor tracking with behavioral analytics.
Discover your assets with a hacker mindset.
Stay ahead of threat actors with actionable intelligence alerts.
Evaluate the security posture of your entire supply network.
Your guide in harnessing the full potential of our platform.
Hear SOCRadar’s impressive achievements from our clients.
Automate and operationalize your security operations.
Consulting and professional services for cybersecurity excellence.
Industry, sector, and region-based in-depth research.
Discover the heartbeat of cyberspace through a collection showcasing the latest incidents.
Discover how XTI empowers organizations to proactively identify, mitigate, and respond to evolving cyber threats.
Register for our live webinars, and watch our on-demand webinars instantly.
Dive deep into the world of cyber threats, advanced analysis techniques, and cutting-edge strategies.
Stay informed and up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends.
Explore SOCRadar’s learning experience to fuel your cybersecurity journey with insights that exceed industry standards.
We offer expert-led, and exclusive trainings to help you master the latest in cybersecurity, trusted by over 2,000 top companies.
Scan the dark web to prevent your leaks from turning into real risks.
Instantly access dark web findings about your organization’s assets.
Check if there is anything about you in SOCRadar’s ever-expanding breach database.
Track threat actors and groups by country or industry for effective follow-up.
Explore threat actors’ tactics, techniques, activities, and detailed profiles targeting your industry or region.
All-in-one next-generation tools for investigating everyday events like phishing, malware, account breach, etc.
Power your search with SOCRadar’s IOC Radar.
Let’s get to know each other better.
Broaden your market reach and increase ARR with SOCRadar Extended Threat Intelligence.
Get informed of our upcoming events.
Latest news about our platform, company, and what’s being said about us.
Begin an extraordinary journey in your professional path with SOCRadar.
We’d like to hear from you.
SOCRadar Training Series – Mastering AI in Cybersecurity From Theory to Practice
Resources
In the constantly changing landscape of cyber threats, ransomware groups adapt their tactics to outmaneuver defenses. Everest Ransomware recently attracted attention in May 2024 for its notable targets. Since its emergence in December 2020, Everest has seemed to infiltrate and compromise organizations using advanced techniques. This profile examines the origins, operational tactics, and mitigation strategies related to Everest Ransomware, offering essential insights for cybersecurity professionals.
Everest ransomware, active since December 2020, has quickly become known in the cybercriminal landscape. The group’s strategies and high-profile alleged targets, including NASA and the Brazilian Government, highlight their operational capabilities. Once known for their double extortion tactics, Everest did not only encrypt victim data but also threatened to leak sensitive information if ransom demands were not met.

Everest Ransomware’s current home page
However, the group has undergone several transformations. More recently, they have increasingly specialized as an Initial Access Broker and lastly in line with the trend, just data leak threats.
The group, whose data leak sites became inaccessible after the Colonial Pipeline incident, probably turned to less risky cyber crimes and seems to be continuing the same strategy.
While it was a fully fledged ransomware operation Everest employed a range of sophisticated tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to achieve its objectives as suggested by NCC. Their Cyber Kill Chain is as follows:
Lateral Movement: The group uses legitimate compromised user accounts and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to move laterally across networks. By exploiting weak or stolen credentials, they can access multiple systems within a target organization.
Credential Access: Everest utilizes tools like ProcDump to create copies of the LSASS process, allowing them to extract additional credentials. They also create copies of the NTDS database, containing valuable Active Directory data.
Defense Evasion: To avoid detection, Everest routinely removes tools, reconnaissance output files, and data collection archives from compromised hosts. This helps to cover their tracks and maintain persistence within the network.
Discovery: Upon compromising a new host, Everest conducts network discovery using tools such as netscan.exe, netscanpack.exe, and SoftPerfect Network Scanner. These tools enable the group to identify further targets within the network and plan subsequent stages of the attack.
Collection: The group installs WinRAR on file servers to archive data for exfiltration. This archived data is then transferred out of the network for ransom or sale.
Command and Control: Everest primarily uses Cobalt Strike for command and control (C2) communications. They execute Cobalt Strike beacons on compromised hosts through PowerShell commands and also deploy secondary C2 methods using remote access tools like AnyDesk, Splashtop Remote Desktop, and Atera.
Exfiltration: Data exfiltration is conducted using the file transfer capabilities of tools like Splashtop. This ensures that sensitive information is moved out of the network before encryption or other malicious activities are initiated.
Impact: Everest employs a double extortion technique, where they not only encrypt the victim’s data but also exfiltrate sensitive information. This increases pressure on victims to pay the ransom, as failure to do so could result in public data leaks.
However, in their current activities, only data leak sales appear and there is no encryption phrase or reference. Another important detail is that it was once associated with Black-Byte. However, this is not the only known relationship of the group.
In September 4 of 2023 it was noted that they were also collaborating with Ransomed, as evidenced by the victim announcement for SKF.com. Upon reviewing Ransomed’s claim post, it was observed that they also made the same announcement. Both groups have maintained a presence on platforms such as the XSS Forum and Breached.
Given that Ransomed was one of the founders of BlackForums after Breached and Everest was active on Breached, it can be inferred that their collaboration extends beyond a single operation, indicating a history of working together.

Victim sharing of SKF in Everest Ransomware’s data leak site
Although this context reveals some ties, it is not known whether there is a current tie as Ransomed is no longer active. Breached’s new version BreachForums was also recently subjected to an FBI operation, but XSS is still active and at the beginning of this month, Everest Ransomware shared a few leaks on the forum.

Everest Ransomware is still active on XSS
The Everest ransomware group made a significant shift in its tactics by actively seeking access to corporate networks directly from employees. This move was marked by their offer to share a portion of the profits from successful attacks with those facilitating the initial intrusion. They also assured partners of complete transparency regarding the operations and confidentiality regarding their involvement.

Everest Ransomware’s recruiting post
The group specifically targeted organizations based in the US, Canada, and Europe, and they were open to acquiring remote access through various means such as TeamViewer, AnyDesk, and RDP. This strategic change was observed in their deep web communication, indicating a deliberate effort to reduce reliance on intermediaries and streamline their operations.
Researchers noted a notable increase in Everest’s activity as an Initial Access Broker (IAB) starting from November 2022. This transition was seen as a strategic move to evade law enforcement and enhance their financial gains by eliminating intermediaries.
As stated above, this trend aligns with a broader shift among ransomware groups to minimize intermediaries and maximize profits by directly targeting organizations. However, their latest victim announcements are just data leak threats for various companies, so they are mostly a data broker group for now.
You can visit the SOCRadar Platform Ransomware Intelligence page to see victim organizations, industries and countries.

Everest Ransomware has 89 victims, SOCRadar Platform – Ransomware Intelligence
To defend against the sophisticated tactics employed by Everest Ransomware, organizations should implement the following strategies:
Regular Data Backup: Implement a robust backup strategy to ensure that critical data can be recovered in the event of a ransomware attack. Regular backups reduce the impact of data encryption and facilitate faster recovery.
Security Awareness Training: Educate employees about ransomware threats and cybersecurity best practices. Awareness training can help reduce the risk of falling victim to phishing attacks and other social engineering tactics used by Everest.
Patch and Update Management: Keep systems updated with the latest security patches to address vulnerabilities exploited by ransomware attackers. Regular updates minimize the attack surface and close security gaps.
Network Segmentation: Segment networks to separate critical systems and data from less secure areas. This limits the spread of ransomware within the network and contains potential breaches.
Access Control: Restrict user privileges to minimize the attack surface and prevent the spread of ransomware. Implement the principle of least privilege to ensure that users have only the access they need to perform their jobs.
Email and Web Security: Deploy advanced filtering solutions to detect and block malicious attachments, links, and phishing attempts. Robust email and web security can prevent initial access attempts by ransomware groups.
Endpoint Protection: Use antivirus software, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools to detect and mitigate ransomware threats on endpoints. These tools provide real-time protection and alerting.
Incident Response Plan: Develop and test a response plan specifically for ransomware attacks. This plan should include procedures for identifying, containing, and recovering from incidents to ensure a swift and effective response.
Regular Security Audits: Conduct audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and remediate security gaps. Regular audits help maintain a strong security posture and ensure that defenses are up to date.
Backup Testing: Regularly test backup data integrity and store backups securely to prevent unauthorized access. Testing ensures that backups are reliable and can be restored when needed.
Everest Ransomware’s evolution and operational tactics underscore the dynamic and adaptive nature of cyber threats. By understanding their methods and implementing robust mitigation strategies, organizations can strengthen their defenses and reduce the risk of falling victim to ransomware attacks. Staying vigilant and proactive in cybersecurity efforts is crucial in the fight against ransomware groups like Everest.
We can help you build a proactive security posture. SOCRadar enhances your organization’s security stance against ransomware threats through proactive threat monitoring and intelligence solutions. By utilizing our platform, you can actively search for threat actors, understand their tactics and vulnerabilities, and implement preemptive measures to safeguard your assets.

SOCRadar Attack Surface Management has Ransomware Check function
Our Attack Surface Management module provides ongoing monitoring of potential attack vectors, delivering timely alerts for suspicious activities. This proactive approach enables rapid responses to threats, bolstering your overall cybersecurity defenses. Integrating SOCRadar into your cybersecurity framework adds an additional layer of protection against ransomware and other cybersecurity threats.

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest insights!
PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA COOKIE POLICY FOR THE INTERNET SITE
Protecting your personal data is one of the core principles of our organization, SOCRadar, which operates the internet site (www.socradar.com). This Cookie Usage Policy (“Policy”) explains the types of cookies used and the conditions under which they are used to all website visitors and users.
Cookies are small text files stored on your computer or mobile device by the websites you visit.
Cookies are commonly used to provide you with a personalized experience while using a website, enhance the services offered, and improve your overall browsing experience, contributing to ease of use while navigating a website. If you prefer not to use cookies, you can delete or block them through your browser settings. However, please be aware that this may affect your usage of our website. Unless you change your cookie settings in your browser, we will assume that you accept the use of cookies on this site.
1. WHAT KIND OF DATA IS PROCESSED IN COOKIES?
Cookies on websites collect data related to your browsing and usage preferences on the device you use to visit the site, depending on their type. This data includes information about the pages you access, the services and products you explore, your preferred language choice, and other preferences.
2. WHAT ARE COOKIES AND WHAT ARE THEIR PURPOSES?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device or web server by the websites you visit through your browsers. These small text files, containing your preferred language and other settings, help us remember your preferences on your next visit and assist us in making improvements to our services to enhance your experience on the site. This way, you can have a better and more personalized user experience on your next visit.
The main purposes of using cookies on our Internet Site are as follows:
3. TYPES OF COOKIES USED ON OUR INTERNET SITE 3.1. Session Cookies
Session cookies ensure the smooth operation of the internet site during your visit. They are used for purposes such as ensuring the security and continuity of our sites and your visits. Session cookies are temporary cookies and are deleted when you close your browser; they are not permanent.
3.2. Persistent Cookies
These cookies are used to remember your preferences and are stored on your device through browsers. Persistent cookies remain stored on your device even after you close your browser or restart your computer. These cookies are stored in your browser’s subfolders until deleted from your browser’s settings. Some types of persistent cookies can be used to provide personalized recommendations based on your usage purposes.
With persistent cookies, when you revisit our website with the same device, the website checks if a cookie created by our website exists on your device. If so, it is understood that you have visited the site before, and the content to be presented to you is determined accordingly, offering you a better service.
3.3. Mandatory/Technical Cookies
Mandatory cookies are essential for the proper functioning of the visited internet site. The purpose of these cookies is to provide necessary services by ensuring the operation of the site. For example, they allow access to secure sections of the internet site, use of its features, and navigation.
3.4. Analytical Cookies
These cookies gather information about how the website is used, the frequency and number of visits, and show how visitors navigate to the site. The purpose of using these cookies is to improve the operation of the site, increase its performance, and determine general trend directions. They do not contain data that can identify visitors. For example, they show the number of error messages displayed or the most visited pages.
3.5. Functional Cookies
Functional cookies remember the choices made by visitors within the site and recall them during the next visit. The purpose of these cookies is to provide ease of use to visitors. For example, they prevent the need to re-enter the user’s password on each page visited by the site user.
3.6. Targeting/Advertising Cookies
They measure the effectiveness of advertisements shown to visitors and calculate how many times ads are displayed. The purpose of these cookies is to present personalized advertisements to visitors based on their interests.
Similarly, they determine the specific interests of visitors’ navigation and present appropriate content. For example, they prevent the same advertisement from being shown again to the visitor in a short period.
4. HOW TO MANAGE COOKIE PREFERENCES?
To change your preferences regarding the use of cookies, block or delete cookies, you only need to change your browser settings.
Many browsers offer options to accept or reject cookies, only accept certain types of cookies, or receive notifications from the browser when a website requests to store cookies on your device.
Also, it is possible to delete previously saved cookies from your browser.
If you disable or reject cookies, you may need to manually adjust some preferences, and certain features and services on the website may not work properly as we will not be able to recognize and associate with your account. You can change your browser settings by clicking on the relevant link from the table below.
5. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE INTERNET SITE PRIVACY POLICY
The Internet Site Privacy Policy is dated  The effective date of the Policy will be updated if the entire Policy or specific sections are renewed. The Privacy Policy is published on the Organization’s website (www.socradar.com) and made accessible to relevant individuals upon request.
SOCRadar
Address: 651 N Broad St, Suite 205 Middletown, DE 19709 USA
Phone: +1 (571) 249-4598
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.socradar.com

source