The Ransomware Rogue: Is Wazawaka Finally Behind Bars?

Hold onto your keyboards, folks! The digital underworld just got a little quieter—rumor has it that one of its most infamous hackers may have finally been caught! According to Bleeping Computer, the ransomware world’s very own Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, better known by his hacker aliases like Wazawaka, Uhodiransomwar, m1x, and Boriselcin, has reportedly been arrested.

While prosecutors are keeping mum on the matter, whispers from the Russian state news agency РИА Новости (with a little help from the savvy folks over at BlueSky) suggest that Matveev is indeed in the clutches of Russian authorities. The Kaliningrad Interior Ministry, along with Russian prosecutors, has sent a case involving “a programmer accused of creating a malicious program” to court. And guess what? An anonymous insider claims that this dastardly programmer is none other than Matveev himself!

But wait, there’s more! This digital villain isn’t just wanted for his exploits in Russia—he’s also on the US radar for launching a barrage of cyber-attacks against law enforcement agencies and healthcare organizations dating back to 2020. In a plot twist worthy of a Hollywood thriller, the US State Department had even dangled a tantalizing $10 million reward for information leading to his capture back in May of last year, when the Department of Justice decided enough was enough and filed criminal charges against him. If he’s indeed behind bars in Russia, though, the US might miss its chance to bring him to justice.

Matveev is no lone wolf either. This Russian national has deep ties with notorious ransomware gangs like Hive, LockBit, and Babuk. He’s been linked to some jaw-dropping attacks, including an April 2021 lockout of the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s systems. Fast forward to more recent times, and he’s alleged to have played a role in a Hive ransomware attack targeting a healthcare NGO in New Jersey.

Let’s not forget that LockBit is notorious for its viciousness. In late 2022, they wreaked havoc on over 1,400 victims, including a Holiday Inn hotel in Turkey. To top it all off, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has slapped sanctions on Matveev for his involvement in these cybercrimes against US services and infrastructure. The Justice Department estimates that Matveev has raked in over a staggering $75 million in ransom payments. Talk about a cybercrime career!

So, will the world finally see justice served, or is Wazawaka destined to remain an elusive figure in the annals of hacking history? Only time will tell—but for now, the online realm breathes a bit easier knowing that this notorious hacker might just be off the streets.