In January 2022, KrebsOnSecurity recognized a Russian man named Mikhail Matveev as “Wazawaka,” a cybercriminal who was deeply concerned within the formation and operation of a number of ransomware teams. The U.S. authorities indicted Matveev as a high ransomware purveyor a yr later, providing $10 million for data resulting in his arrest. Final week, the Russian authorities reportedly arrested Matveev and charged him with creating malware used to extort firms.
An FBI needed poster for Matveev.
Matveev, a.ok.a. “Wazawaka” and “Boriselcin” labored with a minimum of three completely different ransomware gangs that extorted a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} from firms, faculties, hospitals and authorities companies, U.S. prosecutors allege.
Russia’s inside ministry final week issued a press release saying a 32-year-old hacker had been charged with violating home legal guidelines towards the creation and use of malicious software program. The announcement didn’t title the accused, however the Russian state information company RIA Novosti cited nameless sources saying the person detained is Matveev.
Matveev didn’t reply to requests for remark. Daryna Antoniuk at TheRecord stories {that a} safety researcher stated on Sunday they’d contacted Wazawaka, who confirmed being charged and stated he’d paid two fines, had his cryptocurrency confiscated, and is presently out on bail pending trial.
Matveev’s hacker identities had been remarkably open and talkative on quite a few cybercrime boards. Shortly after being recognized as Wazawaka by KrebsOnSecurity in 2022, Matveev printed a number of selfie movies on Twitter/X the place he acknowledged utilizing the Wazawaka moniker and talked about a number of safety researchers by title (together with this writer). Extra just lately, Matveev’s X profile (@ransomboris) posted an image of a t-shirt that options the U.S. authorities’s “Wished” poster for him.
A picture tweeted by Matveev displaying the Justice Division’s needed poster for him on a t-shirt. picture: x.com/vxunderground
The golden rule of cybercrime in Russia has all the time been that so long as you by no means hack, extort or steal from Russian residents or firms, you’ve got little to worry of arrest. Wazawaka claimed he zealously adhered to this rule as a private {and professional} mantra.
“Don’t shit the place you reside, journey native, and don’t go overseas,” Wazawaka wrote in January 2021 on the Russian-language cybercrime discussion board Exploit. “Mom Russia will allow you to. Love your nation, and you’ll all the time get away with every thing.”
Nonetheless, Wazawaka could not have all the time caught to that rule. At a number of factors all through his profession, Wazawaka claimed he made good cash stealing accounts from drug sellers on darknet narcotics bazaars.
Cyber intelligence agency Intel 471 stated Matveev’s arrest raises extra questions than solutions, and that Russia’s motivation right here seemingly goes past what’s taking place on the floor.
“It’s potential this can be a shakedown by Kaliningrad authorities of an area web thug who has tens of tens of millions of {dollars} in cryptocurrency,” Intel 471 wrote in an evaluation printed Dec. 2. “The nation’s ingrained, institutional corruption dictates that if dues aren’t paid, hassle will come knocking. But it surely’s normally an issue cash can repair.
Intel 471 says whereas Russia’s court docket system is opaque, Matveev will seemingly be open in regards to the proceedings, significantly if he pays a toll and is granted passage to proceed his damaging actions.
“Sadly, none of this is able to mark significant progress towards ransomware,” they concluded.
Though Russia historically hasn’t put lots of effort into going after cybercriminals inside its borders, it has introduced a collection of fees towards alleged ransomware actors this yr. In January, 4 males tied to the REvil ransomware group had been sentenced to prolonged jail phrases. The boys had been amongst 14 suspected REvil members rounded up by Russia within the weeks earlier than Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Earlier this yr, Russian authorities arrested a minimum of two males for allegedly working the short-lived Sugarlocker ransomware program in 2021. Aleksandr Ermakov and Mikhail Shefel (now legally Mikhail Lenin) ran a safety consulting enterprise referred to as Shtazi-IT. Shortly earlier than his arrest, Ermakov turned the primary ever cybercriminal sanctioned by Australia, which alleged he stole and leaked knowledge on almost 10 million clients of the Australian well being big Medibank.
In December 2023, KrebsOnSecurity recognized Lenin as “Rescator,” the nickname utilized by the cybercriminal answerable for promoting greater than 100 million cost playing cards stolen from clients of Goal and House Depot in 2013 and 2014. Final month, Shefel admitted in an interview with KrebsOnSecurity that he was Rescator, and claimed his arrest within the Sugarlocker case was payback for reporting the son of his former boss to the police.
Ermakov was sentenced to 2 years probation. However on the identical day my interview with Lenin was printed right here, a Moscow court docket declared him insane, and ordered him to endure obligatory medical therapy, The File’s Antoniuk notes.