UNC2628
UNC2628 is a Mandiant/FireEye-tracked threat cluster assessed as a current or former affiliate of the DARKSIDE ransomware-as-a-service ecosystem. The group has been active since at least February 2021 and is characterized by a rapid intrusion-to-encryption timeline, typically deploying ransomware within two to three days of initial access. Reported initial access involved corporate VPN infrastructure using legitimate credentials, with precursor activity consistent with suspicious authentication attempts, brute-force, and password-spraying activity; FireEye also noted the possibility that VPN credentials were purchased from other criminals. In observed intrusions, UNC2628 heavily used Cobalt Strike BEACON, created a domain account named "spservice," used a service named "CitrixInit" to launch BEACON, used Mimikatz for credential theft, moved laterally primarily via RDP, used SMB BEACON named pipes beginning with "\.\pipe\UIA_PIPE_", and exfiltrated data over SFTP using Rclone. Separate reporting also states UNC2628 used the C3 framework to proxy command-and-control communications through the Slack API. The group has been described as potentially partnering with other ransomware-as-a-service operations including REvil and Netwalker. Alias: UNC2628.
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Tradecraft
19 distinct techniques observed across reporting, grouped by tactic. Hover any cell for the evidence excerpt; click through for MITRE's full description.
Associated malware families
5 malware families attributed to this actor across reporting.
Observables
40 indicators attributed to this actor: domains, IPs, hashes, and other artifacts pulled from reporting. View more in app.
Recent activity
3 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Used the open-source C3 command-and-control framework to proxy C2 communications through the Slack API in order to blend in and conceal outbound traffic.
DarkSide-linked affiliate cluster that rapidly moves from initial access to ransomware deployment, often within days, using brute-force and credential-based access methods.
A DARKSIDE affiliate cluster conducting rapid intrusions using stolen or valid VPN credentials, Cobalt Strike, credential theft, lateral movement, data exfiltration, and PsExec-based ransomware deployment.
The version that knows your environment.
Match sector + geo + tech-stack targeting against your real footprint.
Every observed MITRE ATT&CK technique, grouped by tactic.
Families this actor is known to deploy, with IOCs and behavior.
CVEs this actor has used in known campaigns.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Domains, IPs, and hashes tied to this actor, refreshed continuously.