Linux version of new Cicada ransomware targets VMware ESXi servers

A new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation is falsely associating itself with the legitimate Cicada 3301 organization and has already listed 19 victims on its extortion portal, targeting companies globally at an alarming pace.
This cybercrime operation adopts both the name and logo of the enigmatic 2012-2014 Cicada 3301 online and real-world game, which was known for its complex cryptographic puzzles.
However, there is no affiliation between the two. The legitimate Cicada 3301 organization has released an official statement disavowing any connection to the threat actors and condemning their malicious activities. “We do not know the identity of the criminals behind these heinous crimes and are not associated with these groups in any way,” the statement from Cicada 3301 reads.