TDS Desk:

One of the world’s most notorious cybercrime groups, ShinyHunters, has claimed it hijacked the dark web website of rival gang cl0p, bringing an alleged long-running dispute between the groups into the open.

ShinyHunters said it breached cl0p’s dark web site on Friday after finding a vulnerability in the group’s software and gaining extensive control over its infrastructure.

“We basically own them now,” ShinyHunters told Reuters in an online chat.

Cl0p did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Its dark web site was inaccessible when Reuters attempted to visit it on Sunday. A screenshot preserved by cybercrime research platform eCrime.ch showed the site carrying the message, “Domain Seized By ShinyHunters.”

Two cybersecurity experts told Reuters that the apparent clash appeared to be genuine.

The dispute reportedly dates back to last year and involves a previously unknown vulnerability in Oracle’s E-Business Suite (EBS) software. ShinyHunters claimed it discovered the vulnerability first, while cl0p allegedly used it to steal data from more than 100 companies.

The vulnerability, known as a “zero-day,” can give hackers access to vulnerable computer networks before software developers have had an opportunity to fix the flaw.

According to ShinyHunters, cl0p later threatened to expose the identities of some of its members, prompting the group to threaten to reveal details of cl0p’s internal operations.

Reuters could not independently verify ShinyHunters’ account of the dispute.

Cl0p is considered one of the most prolific cybercrime groups, having exploited vulnerabilities in enterprise software to carry out large-scale data theft campaigns. In 2023, it exploited a vulnerability in MOVEit file-transfer software, affecting data belonging to tens of millions of people across more than 600 organisations.

ShinyHunters has also been linked to major data theft campaigns. It claimed in April to have stolen millions of business records from Rockstar Games and was also linked to a May cyberattack involving education platform Canvas that disrupted schools across the United States.

Earlier this month, AI company Anthropic said it had detected hackers linked to ShinyHunters attempting to use its tools.