Ransomware Group

Spectre

Also known as: SpecterLock, GhostSpectre

Status: active • First seen 2024-08100+ known victims

Spectre goes after the big servers that run lots of smaller virtual computers. By encrypting one physical server, they can lock up dozens of virtual systems at once.

Overview

Spectre ransomware targets virtualized environments and cloud infrastructure. They specialize in encrypting VMware ESXi hosts and have developed custom tools for cloud provider targeting.

Target Industries

Cloud Services, Hosting Providers, Technology, MSPs

How They Attack

  • ESXi exploitation
  • Cloud API abuse
  • Credential stuffing
  • Double extortion

Notable Victims

Cloud hosting providers (2024), MSPs (2025)

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How to Protect Against Spectre

  1. 1.

    Patch ESXi hosts immediately

  2. 2.

    Implement MFA for cloud management

  3. 3.

    Isolate ESXi management interfaces

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

T1190, T1078.004, T1486, T1529

Related Groups

Blackcat, Ransomhub

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