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Qilin Ransomware

Qilin Ransomware topped April 2025 with 45+ data leak disclosures

The cyber threat landscape is rapidly changing, with a notable increase in ransomware activity in April 2025, driven by the Qilin ransomware group. They exploited the NETXLOADER malware loader and SmokeLoader, causing 45 confirmed data breaches in a matter of weeks, surpassing major rivals like Akira, Play, and Lynx.

What Is NETXLOADER?

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NETXLOADER is a new .NET-based malware loader that discreetly delivers second-stage payloads such as Agenda ransomware and SmokeLoader. Trend Micro reports that it uses .NET Reactor 6 for heavy obfuscation and incorporates advanced evasion techniques.

Just-In-Time (JIT) hooking
Control flow obfuscation
Meaningless method names

These features make NETXLOADER very difficult to find and understand, even for experienced reverse engineers.

The Qilin Ransomware Threat:

Qilin, also known as Agenda, has been active since mid-2022 and has evolved over time. Its recent success is partly due to increased affiliate support following the shutdown of RansomHub, a major ransomware group.

According to Group-IB, leak site activity related to Qilin more than doubled since February 2025:

February: 48 disclosures
March: 44 disclosures
April: 45+ disclosures in the first few weeks
Attack Vectors and Targeted Sectors

Initial access is typically achieved using:

Compromised credentials
Spear-phishing campaigns

Once inside the network, NETXLOADER downloads malware that installs Agenda ransomware using a specific method.

Targeted sectors include:

Healthcare
Financial services
Technology
Telecommunications

Countries most impacted so far are the U.S., Netherlands, Brazil, India, and the Philippines.

A Call for Vigilance:

This surge underscores the need for robust cybersecurity hygiene, including:

Regular vulnerability assessments
Endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions
Advanced email security
User training against phishing

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