New Helldown Ransomware: A Growing Threat Across Cross-Platform Systems

Helldown ransomware is a rising cyber threat targeting Windows and Linux systems, particularly VMware infrastructures, with a double extortion strategy of encrypting data and threatening to leak it. Exploiting vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-42057 in Zyxel firewalls, it has impacted over 30 organizations in sectors such as IT, healthcare, telecommunications and manufacturing. Helldown shares code similarities with LockBit 3.0 but remains distinct and under active development. Its evolution highlights the growing sophistication and platform diversification of ransomware threats.