In a major cybersecurity breach, hackers are targeting a two-year-old vulnerability in the VMware server software in a ransomware attack aimed at extorting thousands of companies around the world. Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA) has warned that the attack, estimated to be in its third-highest threat category, has already affected more than 3,200 servers across the US, Canada, Europe, and Italy. The cybercriminals are exploiting a known software vulnerability and demanding 2.06 bitcoin (approximately $19,000) in ransom payments.
VMware has already issued a patch for the vulnerability, and the company is urging its customers to update to the newest software version in order to protect their systems. A spokesperson for the company stated that organizations running the affected versions of ESXi should take immediate action to apply the patch. However, the timing of this attack couldn’t be worse for VMware, which is currently undergoing a major acquisition by US chip manufacturer Broadcom.
Antitrust regulators in the US and Europe are investigating Broadcom’s proposed $61 billion purchase of VMware. The deal has raised concerns about the concentration of ownership on both sides of the data storage process and the potential impact on competition in the industry. However, representatives for both companies have stated that it would not make financial sense for Broadcom to limit competitor access to VMware’s software.
