Qilin
Since Oct 8, 2022, Qilin has listed 2,685 organizations on its leak site.
Listings per month
- Total listings
- 2,685
- First listing
- Oct 8, 2022
- Latest listing
- Nov 6, 2026
- MITRE ATT&CK techniques
- 55
Qilin ransomware was first observed in July of 2022. Qilin Ransomware is written in Golang and supports multiple encryption modes; all of which are controlled by the operator. Qilin actors practice double extortion – demanding payment for a decryptor, as well as for the non-release of stolen data.
It posted 1,568 listings in the last 12 months; the busiest month was October 2026 (335 listings).
Most targeted country: United States, with 1,096 listings (41% of the total).
Most targeted sector: Manufacturing, with 544 listings (20% of the total).
Targeted countries
Showing 10 of 2,685 results
55 MITRE ATT&CK techniques across 14 stages are documented in the group's attacks.
- 1
Reconnaissance
Information about the target organization is gathered before the attack.
T1590.004Gather Victim Network Information: Network Topology - 2
Resource development
Infrastructure, accounts and tools for the attack are prepared.
T1587.001Develop Capabilities: Malware - 3
Initial access
The attacker gets into the corporate network for the first time.
T1078Valid AccountsT1190Exploit Public-Facing ApplicationT1566PhishingT1566.003Phishing: Spearphishing via Service - 4
Execution
Malicious code runs on the target system.
T1059.001Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShellT1059.004Command and Scripting Interpreter: Unix ShellT1569System ServicesT1569.002System Services: Service Execution - 5
Persistence
Access survives reboots and password changes.
T1037Boot or Logon Initialization ScriptsT1053Scheduled Task/JobT1053.005Scheduled Task/Job: Scheduled TaskT1098.004Account Manipulation: SSH Authorized KeysT1136Create AccountT1547Boot or Logon Autostart Execution - 6
Privilege escalation
The attacker moves to accounts with higher privileges.
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation - 7
Defense evasion
Security software and logging are bypassed.
T1027Obfuscated Files or InformationT1036.001Masquerading: Invalid Code SignatureT1134.004Access Token Manipulation: Parent PID SpoofingT1211Exploitation for Defense EvasionT1480Execution GuardrailsT1497.001Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion: System ChecksT1553.002Subvert Trust Controls: Code SigningT1562.001Disable or Modify ToolsT1562.004Impair Defenses: Disable or Modify System FirewallT1564Hidden ArtifactsT1564.003Hidden Artifacts: Hidden Window - 8
Credential access
Passwords, tokens and session data are stolen.
T1003.001OS Credential Dumping: LSASS MemoryT1040Network SniffingT1110.002Brute Force: Password CrackingT1555.003Credentials from Web Browsers - 9
Discovery
Systems, accounts and data on the network are mapped.
T1012Query RegistryT1046Network Service DiscoveryT1082System Information DiscoveryT1614System Location Discovery - 10
Lateral movement
The attacker moves to other systems inside the network.
T1021Remote ServicesT1021.001Remote Services: Remote Desktop ProtocolT1021.002Remote Services: SMB/Windows Admin SharesT1021.004Remote Services: SSHT1570Lateral Tool Transfer - 11
Collection
Data to be stolen is selected and gathered.
T1560.001Archive Collected Data: Archive via UtilityT1602.002Network Device Configuration Dump - 12
Command and control
Compromised systems are controlled remotely.
T1001Data ObfuscationT1001.001Data Obfuscation: Junk DataT1071.001Application Layer Protocol: Web ProtocolsT1572Protocol Tunneling - 13
Exfiltration
Data is moved out of the organization; the threat to publish it in the listing relies on this data.
T1011Exfiltration Over Other Network MediumT1011.001Exfiltration Over Other Network Medium: Exfiltration Over BluetoothT1048.003Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol: Unencrypted Non-C2 ProtocolT1567.002Exfiltration Over Web Service: Exfiltration to Cloud Storage - 14
Impact
Systems are encrypted or services are stopped.
T1486Data Encrypted for ImpactT1490Inhibit System RecoveryT1561Disk WipeT1561.001Disk Wipe: Disk Content Wipe
What does a ransomware group do?
Ransomware groups break into corporate networks, move data out and encrypt systems. If the ransom is not paid, they list the organization on a leak site and threaten to publish the data.
How does Qilin get into organizations?
The attacker gets into the corporate network for the first time.
- T1078 · Valid Accounts
- T1190 · Exploit Public-Facing Application
- T1566 · Phishing
- T1566.003 · Phishing: Spearphishing via Service
Which defenses matter most?
Priority defenses based on the documented techniques:
- Keep internet-facing VPN, remote desktop and firewall interfaces patched, and require multi-factor authentication on these accounts.
- Allow scripts and macros only for users who need them, and keep behavioral rules enabled in endpoint protection.
- Monitor newly created services, scheduled tasks and startup entries.
- Reduce local administrator accounts and perform privileged tasks from separate, monitored accounts.
- Alert when security software is disabled or logs are cleared.
- Regularly check whether employee passwords and session cookies appear in infostealer logs.
- Monitor accounts that run many queries in a short time and unusual network scans.
- Segment the network and expose management protocols only on the management network.
- Monitor large file archiving operations.
- Block unapproved use of remote management tools.
- Monitor unusual data volumes sent to cloud storage and file transfer services.
- Keep offline, immutable backups and test restores regularly.
What should you do if your organization is listed on a leak site?
- Record the listing and any published sample files; do not visit the leak site from the corporate network.
- Isolate affected systems and preserve logs without deleting them.
- Determine which data left the organization; if personal data is involved, review notification obligations with your legal team.
- Make any decision about the ransom demand together with legal, management and incident response.
- Do not bring systems back online before the attacker’s entry point is closed.
Is your organization mentioned?
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