DragonForce Ransomware Equips Affiliates with Modular Toolkit for Crafting Custom Payloads

DragonForce Ransomware has emerged as a formidable player in the Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) landscape since its debut in December 2023.

Initially rooted in ideologically driven cyberattacks, the group has pivoted to financially motivated operations, establishing itself as a key threat actor targeting high-value industries across North America, Europe, and Asia.

A Rising Threat in the RaaS Ecosystem

What sets DragonForce apart is its sophisticated RaaS infrastructure, which provides affiliates with a modular toolkit for crafting highly customized ransomware payloads.

This toolkit, featuring a customizable payload builder, allows threat actors to tailor encryption modules, ransom notes, and lateral movement behaviors to specific target environments, amplifying the precision and impact of their campaigns.

Coupled with stealth-optimized encryption techniques designed to evade Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systems, DragonForce’s malware poses a significant challenge to traditional cybersecurity defenses.

DragonForce’s technical prowess is evident in its adoption of advanced tools and tactics, including the repurposed LockBit 3.0 builder leaked in 2022 by a disgruntled developer and a customized fork of Conti ransomware.

According to Dark Atlas Report, these variants incorporate sophisticated encryption routines, anti-analysis mechanisms to thwart forensic and sandbox detection, and the ability to disable EDR/XDR protections using Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) techniques.

Technical Sophistication

The group’s double extortion model further escalates the threat, as affiliates not only encrypt victim systems but also exfiltrate sensitive data, threatening public leaks via the “DragonLeaks” dark web portal if ransoms are unpaid.

Initial access is often gained through phishing, exploitation of vulnerabilities like Log4Shell (CVE-2021-44228), brute-force attacks on RDP and VPN services, or compromised credentials from prior breaches.

Post-exploitation, affiliates leverage tools such as Cobalt Strike for lateral movement, Mimikatz for credential harvesting, and SystemBC for persistent command-and-control (C2) via encrypted tunneling, ensuring sustained access during prolonged campaigns.

Strategically, DragonForce prioritizes disruption-sensitive sectors like manufacturing, technology, and infrastructure, where downtime translates directly into financial leverage, making ransom payments more likely.

Their affiliate platform, accessible via unique .onion-based control panels, streamlines operations with features like revenue tracking, payload customization, and victim management, mirroring a SaaS-like experience for cybercriminals.

Beyond its technical capabilities, DragonForce has also made waves in the RaaS turf wars, notably capitalizing on the sudden collapse of rival RansomHub’s data leak site on April 1, 2025, with a taunting “invitation” to join their infrastructure.

The ensuing drama, including retaliatory defacements and accusations of internal sabotage, underscores the escalating hostilities within the cybercriminal ecosystem.

As DragonForce temporarily pauses new affiliate onboarding citing “recent events,” speculation abounds some suggest a rebranding from RansomHub, while others point to a deepening rivalry.

Regardless, DragonForce’s blend of APT-like sophistication and professional RaaS operations marks it as a priority threat.

Organizations must harden external exposure points, monitor for known tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) using frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK, and deploy behavioral defenses to counter this evolving menace.

With its global reach and relentless innovation, DragonForce Ransomware is redefining the ransomware threat landscape, demanding urgent attention from cybersecurity defenders worldwide.

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