Another major automotive manufacturer has fallen victim to ransomware. Following devastating attacks on Jaguar and BMW, the Qilin cybercriminal gang has now claimed Volkswagen Group France as its latest target.
Details of the Compromise
Volkswagen Group France, the subsidiary responsible for marketing and distributing vehicles for several brands in France, was posted on Qilin’s leak site on October 14th. Qilin claims to have exfiltrated approximately 2,000 files and 150 GB of sensitive data, including client, employee, and business information. The group provided several sample documents as proof.
The samples examined by Cybernews appear to contain extensive personal details of owners, such as names, addresses, and email addresses, along with technical vehicle details like the specific Volkswagen models owned, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), and license plate numbers.
Broader Automotive Sector Attacks
This attack on Volkswagen follows a recent trend of high-profile cyberattacks across the auto manufacturing industry. Last month, the Everest ransomware group targeted German luxury manufacturer BMW, claiming to have stolen "Critical BMW Audit Documents." Previously, in August, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) was hit by a severe ransomware attack that forced the company to shut down its systems, leading to a pause in operations at multiple production facilities.
Qilin's Growing Activity
The group responsible for the Volkswagen breach, Qilin, has rapidly moved into the number one position as the most active ransomware gang in the past 12 months, claiming around 585 victims. They have aggressively outperformed rivals, with over 500 attacks claimed since the beginning of January.
Qilin is known for using a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model and deploying double extortion tactics, demanding a second payout to prevent the public leak of stolen files. The group is linked to Russia and avoids targeting countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), suggesting a Kremlin-aligned agenda. Recent high-profile victims include Texas electric power cooperatives, Japan’s largest brewer Asahi Holdings, and Israel's Shamir Medical Center.
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