A threat actor has leaked the complete source code for the first version of the HelloKitty ransomware on a Russian-speaking hacking forum, claiming to be developing a new, more powerful encryptor.
The leak was
first discovered by cybersecurity researcher 3xp0rt, who spotted a threat actor named 'kapuchin0' releasing the "first branch" of the HelloKitty ransomware encryptor.
While the source code was released by someone named 'kapuchin0,' 3xp0rt told BleepingComputer that the threat actor also utilizes the alias 'Gookee.'
A threat actor named Gookee has been previously associated with malware and hacking activity,
attempting to sell access to Sony Network Japan in 2020, linked to a Ransomware-as-a-Service operation called '
Gookee Ransomware,' and trying to sell malware source code on a hacker forum.
3xp0rt believes kapuchin0/Gookee is the developer of the HelloKitty ransomware, who now says, "We are preparing a new product and much more interesting than Lockbit."
The released hellokitty.zip archive contains a Microsoft Visual Studio solution that builds the HelloKitty encryptor and decryptor and the
NTRUEncrypt library that this version of the ransomware uses to encrypt files.
Ransomware expert Michael Gillespie confirmed to BleepingComputer that this is the legitimate source code for HelloKitty used when the ransomware operation first launched in 2020.
While the release of ransomware source code can be helpful for security research, the public availability of this code does have its drawbacks.
As we saw when
HiddenTear was released (
for "educational reasons") and
Babuk ransomware source code was released,
threat actors quickly used the code to
launch their own extortion operations.
To this day, over nine ransomware operations continue using
the Babuk source code as the basis for their own encryptors.
