Threats Tagged 'the com'

A new extortion group called Pink, tracked as cluster CL-CRI-1147, employs voice phishing and fake IT helpdesk impersonation to compromise organizations. The gang steals employee credentials, bypasses multi-factor authentication, and exfiltrates data from cloud storage platforms like SharePoint and OneDrive. Pink threatens to leak stolen information unless ransom demands are met, setting 72-hour deadlines. The group's data-leak site launched on May 31, 2026. This approach mirrors tactics popularized by Lapsus$, Scattered Spider, and ShinyHunters. Incident responders link Pink to The Com, a loosely connected network of English-speaking hackers and extortionists. Attackers use compromised victim accounts and internal Teams messages for extortion communications, reusing domains across multiple targets.

Since February 2026, multiple incidents involving data theft and extortion have been attributed to activity cluster CL-CRI-1116, also known as BlackFile, UNC6671, and Cordial Spider. These financially-motivated attackers, likely associated with "The Com" collective, employ voice-based phishing combined with credential harvesting through fraudulent login pages. They impersonate IT support staff to steal credentials and bypass multi-factor authentication. The attackers focus on Living Off the Land techniques, abusing legitimate APIs like Microsoft Graph to access SharePoint sites and Salesforce data. They search for confidential information and employee data within SaaS environments, then exfiltrate it through browser downloads or API exports. To pressure victims into paying seven-figure ransoms, attackers send demands via Gmail and compromised email accounts, sometimes employing SWATting tactics against executives.