Tape Libraries Provide Air-Gapped Defense Against Ransomware Targeting Backup Systems

Cerber Ransomware Variant C3RB3R Targets Synology NAS Devices via Two Recently Disclosed Vulnerabilities

Since October this year, 360 Anti-Ransomware teams have responded to multiple incidents involving encryption attacks on Synology NAS appliances. Analysis by 360 AI security experts identified the threat as C3RB3R, a variant of the long-standing Cerber ransomware family that has historically focused on NAS targets. Attackers leveraged two high-risk remote vulnerabilities disclosed only one month earlier, CVE-2026-13639 and CVE-2026-13684, in classic 1-day exploitation scenarios. After gaining access, the malware follows traditional ransomware behavior: it scans file systems while skipping 27 system directories and specific extensions, then encrypts files using ChaCha8 combined with RSA-2048 before appending the .L0CK3D extension and dropping ransom notes. Synology released patches for eight vulnerabilities, including the two exploited ones, across multiple DSM versions starting 18 September 2026. The report includes detailed encryption logic, a full list of 187 priority extensions, and a set of practical hardening recommendations for NAS administrators.

Ransomware Group Emperador Claims 3.9 GB Data Theft from AB InBev

The ransomware group Emperador has added AB InBev, the manufacturer of Budweiser and Corona beers, to its list of alleged victims. The group claims to possess 3.9 GB of internal data and is demanding a $1 million Bitcoin ransom. The listing includes 329,244 social listening alerts, 2,510 corporate emails from subsidiaries, around 19,000 access records, internal service portal logs, and public key infrastructure certificates. Most of the data volume, 3.2 GB, is attributed to Azure storage assets. AB InBev has neither confirmed nor denied the claims, and no samples have been published to verify authenticity. The announcement provides no details on how the data was allegedly obtained, such as an exposed storage account or leaked credentials. While access records and certificates could aid network mapping and lateral movement, the lack of private keys or confirmed encryption of systems limits the immediate impact assessment.

Russian Ransomware Groups INC and The Gentlemen Deploy AI-Driven Phantom Framework for Fully Automated Attacks

SOCRadar researchers have disclosed the Phantom framework, an AI-powered autonomous ransomware attack platform operated by members linked to the INC and The Gentlemen groups. The system uses commercial large language models routed through OpenRouter to scan 7,158 edge devices, steal 535 administrator accounts, and compromise 4,140 endpoints. AI agents autonomously generate custom encryption binaries, craft personalized ransom demands based on stolen financial data, and write kernel drivers to disable EDR solutions before encryption. The framework runs on 32 custom MCP servers that give the AI direct access to scanning, credential abuse, financial analysis, and anti-detection tooling. Human operators only supply target prompts and approve final actions while the AI executes the entire kill chain. Phantom Agent v3.1 implants masquerade as Windows Update components and communicate over encrypted channels with randomized polling intervals. The discovery reveals a mature Ransomware-as-a-Service model that lowers the barrier for other criminal groups to conduct large-scale AI-automated extortion.