Black Basta Claims Hyundai Europe As Its Latest Ransom Victim

(CTN News) – BleepingComputer reported Hyundai’s IT issue in January. The South Korean automaker told BleepingComputer at the time that it was experiencing IT problems.

Hyundai said its customers, employees, investors, and partners are its top priorities.

Black Basta allegedly stole 3TB of data, according to new information reported by the media outlet this week. Hyundai has now revealed that the incident has evolved into a full-blown ransomware attack.

An unauthorized third party has accessed a limited part of Hyundai Motor Europe’s network, Hyundai Motor Europe said in a statement to BleepingComputer. We have reached out to confirm the reports and are waiting for a response. Black Basta’s dark leak site has not mentioned Hyundai or the alleged stolen data.

In light of confirmation that it had been infected by the Black Basta ransomware gang, Dan Lattimer, Vice President at Semperis, a US-based Active Directory security firm, said that persistent and motivated threat groups have an edge over even the world’s largest companies.

A ransomware gang, such as Black Basta, can infiltrate an organization and steal whatever they want, according to Lattimer. It has prevented hundreds of cyberattacks from becoming significant, but is once again in the crosshairs of hackers,” Lattimer said.

An additional cyberattack exposed the personal information of Hyundai’s customers in France and Italy last April. In that breach, the attackers were never identified.

To limit disruptions, global organizations need to adopt a post-breach mindset, improving their response and recovery times. Defenders must fight back now, he said. Previously, researchers discovered security flaws in the automaker’s software, including one that allowed them to control critical features, including the engine and door locks.

Hyundai was also targeted by the infamous TikTok challenge in 2021, where viral videos showed how to bypass the vehicle’s security system and hotwire the vehicles with only a screwdriver and USB cable.

Hyundai has notified relevant authorities and is investigating this latest breach with external cybersecurity and legal experts.

It is believed that Black Basta is an offshoot of the notorious Conti ransomware gang that has raked in at least $100 million in Bitcoin ransom payments since its inception in early 2022, according to a November 2023 report by Elliptic and Corvus Insurance.

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