H1 2023: Ransomware's Pivot to Linux and Vulnerable Drivers

In the first half of 2023, ransomware attacks surged, with attackers increasingly relying on exploiting vulnerabilities for rapid compromise. Prominent campaigns targeted organizations using vulnerability exploits, such as the VMware ESXi hypervisor breach. This trend was fueled by ransomware groups targeting Linux servers, which allow for faster attacks but present a less user-rich environment than Windows or MacOS, making vulnerability exploitation a priority for initial access.

Prominent malware variants in H1 2023 included LockBit, ALPHV, Royal, ESXiArgs, and Pegasus. Additionally, …

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