MalwareExploits 1 CVE

Akira _v2

Akira _v2 is a Rust-based variant of Akira ransomware that has been in use since at least 2024. Akira _v2 is designed to target VMware ESXi servers and includes a new command-line argument set and other expanded capabilities.(Citation: CISA Akira Ransomware APR 2024)(Citation: Cisco Akira Ransomware OCT 2024)(Citation: Palo Alto Howling Scorpius DEC 2024)

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EXPLOITED CVES

Vulnerabilities exploited

1 CVE Mallory has correlated with this family across public research and vendor advisories. Each row links to the full Mallory page for that vulnerability.

1 CVES

CVE-2025-55182React2Shell: Pre-authentication RCE in React Server ComponentsExploited in the wild

"A critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-55182 and dubbed React2Shell, exists within the React Server Components (RSC) architecture, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code..."

via f5 communitycommunity.f5.com

MITRE ATT&CK

Techniques & procedures

9 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.

Initial Access

3 techniques

T1078Valid AccountsEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication... Secondary access methods include ... purchasing access from initial access brokers.

T1133External Remote ServicesEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication, specifically targeting Cisco ASA, SonicWall SSL-VPN, and Fortinet VPN appliances.

T1190Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationEvidence1

In mid-2025, Akira mass-exploited CVE-2024-40766 (SonicWall VPN flaw) to steal credentials and gain illicit access. Additional exploited vulnerabilities include CVE-2023-20269... CVE-2024-40711... CVE-2023-48788... CVE-2024-37085...

Persistence

3 techniques

T1078Valid AccountsEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication... Secondary access methods include ... purchasing access from initial access brokers.

T1133External Remote ServicesEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication, specifically targeting Cisco ASA, SonicWall SSL-VPN, and Fortinet VPN appliances.

T1543Create or Modify System ProcessEvidence1

Privilege Escalation

2 techniques

T1078Valid AccountsEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication... Secondary access methods include ... purchasing access from initial access brokers.

T1543Create or Modify System ProcessEvidence1

Stealth

2 techniques

T1078Valid AccountsEvidence1

Akira predominantly gains access through compromised VPN credentials lacking multi-factor authentication... Secondary access methods include ... purchasing access from initial access brokers.

T1480Execution GuardrailsEvidence1

Discovery

2 techniques

T1083File and Directory DiscoveryEvidence1

T1654Log EnumerationEvidence1

Impact

2 techniques

T1486Data Encrypted for ImpactEvidence6

“ChaCha20 + RSA-4096 hybrid with partial encryption for large files... Linux/ESXi variant targets VMware infrastructure directly.”

T1489Service StopEvidence1

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

No public activity tracked yet. Mallory keeps watching.

0 SOURCESView more in app

No public activity observed for this malware family.

What this page doesn’t show

The version that knows your environment.

This page is what’s public. Mallory adds the parts that aren’t: which of your assets match these IOCs, which detections are missing, which campaigns to expect next, and what to do in the next 30 minutes.

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IOC matching

Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.

Threat actor attribution

Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.

Exploited vulnerabilities1

CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

MITRE ATT&CK mapping9

Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.

Researcher chatter

Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.

Akira _v2