DoJ Arrests Hacker Involved With REvil Group That Stole Apple's MacBook Pro Schematics

[MacRumors]

The United States Justice Department today announced that it has arrested Ukrainian Yaroslav Vasinskyi for his involvement with REvil, a group that executed ransomware attacks against businesses and government entities in the United States.

REvil in April targeted Apple supplier Quanta Computer and stole schematics of the design of the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that were later released in October. The schematics unveiled MacBook Pro features like additional ports and the design of the notch, and REvil extorted Apple by threatening to release additional documents if the Cupertino company didn't pay a $50 million fee.

The ransom situation fizzled out just days after REvil made its demand, and the group mysteriously removed all documents and extortion threats related to Apple from its website.

REvil continued on with its illicit activities and in May, was responsible for a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline that caused gas shortages on the East Coast of the United States. In July, REvil took advantage of a vulnerability in management software designed for Kaseya, targeting between 800 and 1,500 businesses worldwide.

The DoJ says that Vasinskyi was involved in the Kaseya attack, and it's not clear if he was also part of the attack on Apple supplier Quanta Computer. He was arrested in Poland and is awaiting extradition to the United States.

Along with Vasinskyi's arrest, the Department of Justice has seized $6.1 million received by Yevgeniy Polyanin, who was also involved with REvil and was responsible for attacks against multiple victims. Two other arrests have been made in Romania, but details have not been shared.

"The arrest of Yaroslav Vasinskyi, the charges against Yevgeniy Polyanin and seizure of $6.1 million of his assets, and the arrests of two other Sodinokibi/REvil actors in Romania are the culmination of close collaboration with our international, U.S. government and especially our private sector partners," said FBI Director Christopher Wray. "The FBI has worked creatively and relentlessly to counter the criminal hackers behind Sodinokibi/REvil. Ransomware groups like them pose a serious, unacceptable threat to our safety and our economic well-being. We will continue to broadly target their actors and facilitators, their infrastructure, and their money, wherever in the world those might be."

Both Vasinskyi and Polyanin have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and related activity in connection with computers, substantive counts of damage to protected computers, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Vasinskyi is facing a maximum of 115 years in prison if convicted, while Polyanin could be facing up to 145 years. Though Vasinskyi is in custody, Polyanin has not been arrested and is believed to be abroad.

The U.S. government has been working with allies in other countries to put a stop to REvil. In October, Reuters reported that multiple government agencies teamed up to hack REvil and take its "Happy Blog" website used to leak stolen documents offline.

Article Link: DoJ Arrests Hacker Involved With REvil Group That Stole Apple's MacBook Pro Schematics

 

[The Clark]

REvil extorted Apple by threatening to release additional documents if the Cupertino company didn't pay a $50 million fee.

If you had just stolen the schematics and didn't attempt to extort Apple you probably wouldn't be in this mess.
Serves him right.

 

[DHagan4755]

Wow! I didn't think they'd ever get caught.

 

[bsamcash]

Boys came in clutch and paid the price.

 

[44267547]

6.1 million in ‘assets’? What exactly at this value is considered assets?

 

[Shirasaki]

Dare I say government agencies are just as dangerous and sophisticated as those criminals, or more than likely way more powerful?

Anyways, at least Apple thought through mountains of complaints from professional users and their M1 Pro M1 Max computer is a smash hit beating all expectations.

Wonder who will come up as the next hacking group then, though said group better lay low rather than blowing up the news headline.

 

[Killa Aaron]

Hackers are smart and stupid at the same time, its one thing to data mine and find a company's new products before release but to sit there and think any company will kneel to extortion is just ridiculous, it has never happened.

 

[Shirasaki]

6.1 million in ‘assets’? What exactly at this value is considered assets?

Usually just random valuation and vague claimed damage as long as Apple can get away with it.

 

[The Barron]

I figured for every case, the ransom IS PAID, we rarely, if ever, hear about it and the bad guys keep getting away with holding everybody & everything hostage because it pays. Boo!

 

[The Barron]

Hackers are smart and stupid at the same time, its one thing to data mine and find a company's new products before release but to sit there and think any company will kneel to extortion is just ridiculous, it has never happened.

It's happened far more often than we ever hear.

 

[JPack]

I figured for every case, the ransom IS PAID, we rarely, if ever, hear about it and the bad guys keep getting away with holding everybody & everything hostage because it pays. Boo!

Because for the vast majority of cases, the ransom is paid. From a business perspective, you go with the option that results in the lowest cost and the least amount of downtime. No business out there has time to make a political statement. Heck, the U.S. government openly negotiates with the Taliban. Everybody knows there's propaganda for the domestic voting audience vs. reality.

 

[44267547]

Usually just random valuation and vague claimed damage as long as Apple can get away with it.

Yeah, but what ‘assets’? As in…valuables, belongings…ect.

 

[Realityck]

Online I only see this article giving details

Two suspected criminal hackers have been charged in the United States in connection with a wave of ransomware attacks, including one that led to the temporary shutdown of the world’s largest meat processor and another that snarled businesses around the globe on the Fourth of July weekend, U.S. officials said Monday.

Also as posted this threads MacRumors article

The DoJ says that Vasinskyi was involved in the Kaseya attack, and it's not clear if he was also part of the attack on Apple supplier Quanta Computer. He was arrested in Poland and is awaiting extradition to the United States.

So pretty much nothing that really involves Apple supplier currently known. ?

 

[JPack]

Hackers are smart and stupid at the same time, its one thing to data mine and find a company's new products before release but to sit there and think any company will kneel to extortion is just ridiculous, it has never happened.

Apple obviously paid the ransom and the FBI followed the money.

This hacker's real mistake was he was in Poland. If was further east, he would still be on the wanted list.

 

[Killa Aaron]

Apple obviously paid the ransom and the FBI followed the money.

This hacker's real mistake was he was in Poland. If was further east, he would still be on the wanted list.

Well kinda my point they still get caught for bragging rights.

 

[falkon-engine]

Lol, my advice to them is don't drop the soap or rEvil things will happen to you!

 

[matrix07]

6.1 million in ‘assets’? What exactly at this value is considered assets?

BitCoin?

 

[44267547]

BitCoin?

6.1 million worth of Bitcoin? Seems like a hacker wouldn’t invest in digital currency for many reasons.

 

[matrix07]

6.1 million worth of Bitcoin? Seems like a hacker wouldn’t invest in digital currency for many reasons.

Yeah I have read some articles about hacker's bitcoin being confiscated by FBI. Obviously bitcoin is traceable. ?

 

[BWhaler]

Great news. These people are pond scum.

Actually, pond scum serves a purpose, so they’re worse than that.

 

[matrix07]

Apple obviously paid the ransom and the FBI followed the money.

Not sure why anyone still think that Apple is hacked. It's Quanta that got hacked. Even if there's someone paying the hacker it will be Quanta, not Apple, since it will be Quanta responsability for Apple data to be leaked.
I'd even imagine things like this is written specifically in the contract.

 

[AdrianCobon]

Poland is still a member of the EU. The hacker can possibly fight extradition by appealing to the EU Supreme Court on grounds that being subject to the US criminal system would violate his human rights. Not saying my home land's treatment of prisoners is bad... but dang, it sure feels that way whenever I turn on the news.

 

[dogslobber]

Great news. These people are pond scum.

Actually, pond scum serves a purpose, so they’re worse than that.

They are terrorists.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Treat these parasites like terrorists, and punish accordingly.

 

[MBAir2010]

aint the USA is spending .5 trillion$ until 2029 on this
and needs the technologist to help them soon!