✅ Report Title: Inside the Ecosystem & Operations: VECT Ransomware Group

✅ Executive Summary:

📌 Who Is the VECT Ransomware Group?

- The VECT ransomware group began its operations by promoting Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) on BreachForums V7.

- Initially charging for panel access keys, the group expanded its reach by distributing them free of charge to forum members through a BreachForums V7 partnership.

- In addition, they have shown a strategic intent to establish a role-based cybercrime ecosystem through collaboration with early infiltration and data leakage specialist groups such as TeamPCP and Rostova.

- The VECT ransomware group has currently ceased operating the DLS (Dedicated Leak Site), but due to their history of distributing RaaS panel access to all members of BreachForums V7, there is a possibility of the emergence of VECT-related variant ransomware. Therefore, continuous tracking and monitoring of reappearance circumstances centered on partner forums and affiliated groups such as TeamPCP and Rostova are required.

VECT's DLS

📌 Group Profiling

- The VECT ransomware group operates on dark web forums such as BreachForums V7 and Rehub, promoting RaaS and recruiting affiliates.

- The group expanded its operations by establishing a partnership with BreachForums V7 and providing sign-up keys to the forum's user base.

- The group built a division-of-labor cybercrime framework, collaborating with groups specialized in initial access and data exfiltration, including TeamPCP and Rostova.

📌 DDW (Deep and Dark Web) Activity

- BreachForums V7, newly established by a separate administration from the original BreachForums, began operations in January 2026, around the same time VECT ransomware activities started.

- After the closure of RAMP, the former leading ransomware forum, the BreachForums administrators announced their intention to allow ransomware-related activities within the forum and announced that they had accepted the VECT ransomware group as the first forum-based ransomware activity group.

- Since then, the VECT ransomware has continued RaaS promotion and affiliate recruitment activities, actively utilizing BreachForums as a major RaaS promotion channel.

📌 Affiliate Infiltration Findings

- Identified the features provided in VECT's panel.

- Binary generation functionality has been confirmed for Windows, Linux, and ESXi environments.

- Grades are divided based on the cumulative revenue generated through affiliate activities, and the profit-sharing ratio between the management and affiliates varies according to the grade.

- There is a public chat feature that all Affiliates, not just the management, can participate in, and it has been confirmed that Affiliates can directly participate in the negotiation process.

📌 Binary Analysis

- The VECT ransomware binary supports Windows, Linux, and ESXi environments and includes multiple string obfuscation and Anti-VM/Anti-Debugging techniques.

- The ChaCha20 algorithm is used for encryption, but since the encryption key is fixed, decryption is possible. Additionally, a flaw was identified where decryption can be difficult due to the Nonce value not being preserved when partially encrypting large files.

✅ Recommended Threat Detection and Mitigation Actions:

- VECT ransomware operates targeting Windows, Linux, and ESXi environments, and includes features such as file encryption, Active Directory-based remote execution, SSH-based lateral movement, disabling security functions, deleting logs and history, and terminating services and processes.

- Since the focus is on local and internal network-based TTP rather than separate C2 communication activities, a proactive detection and response system is needed for remote execution actions during the deployment phase, host-based behavior detection, and actions such as log deletion and recovery interference.

🧑‍💻 Author: S2W TALON

👉 Contact us: https://s2w.inc/en/contact

*The full report is available upon request or with a subscription to the S2W platform.