Akira ransomware: From SonicWall VPN login to encryption in under four hours

Akira ransomware: From SonicWall VPN login to encryption in under four hours

Arctic Wolf researchers warn that the Akira ransomware group can breach organizations within four hours using stolen SonicWall SSL VPN credentials and bypassing multi-factor authentication. The attackers use advanced lateral movement techniques, exfiltrate data, and deploy ransomware rapidly, exploiting known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. #CVE-2024-40766 #SonicWall #AkiraRansomware #Impocket #VulnerabilityExploit

Keypoints

  • Akira ransomware affiliates can compromise organizations in less than four hours.
  • The attacks exploit CVE-2024-40766, a SonicWall SonicOS privilege access flaw, and credential theft.
  • Attackers use network scanning, SMB sessions, RDP, and account creation for lateral movement.
  • Exfiltration involves archiving data with WinRAR and using rclone or FileZilla to transfer to a control server.
  • Organizations are advised to reset all vulnerable SonicWall credentials and monitor unusual activity.

Read More: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/09/29/akira-ransomware-sonicwall-vpn/