The announcement comes just months after security researchers observed that the group was making the transition to rebrand to World Leaks, a data theft outfit.
July 7, 2025 By Kristina Beek
Hunters International, a well-known ransomware group, has announced that it is shutting down operations and will be releasing free decryptors for all victims.
The group has been active since 2023, first emerging as a rebrand of the Hive ransomware gang and targeting more than 300 victims.
In October 2023, a security researcher's analysis of the ransomware that Hunters International used showed significant overlaps with Hive ransomware, indicating that Hive operators handed over their code to the threat actor in a strategic decision.
Once Hunters International was underway, the group began using a new malware, dubbed SharpRhino, to first gain access to infrastructure before establishing persistence, the malware providing the threat actors with remote access to the device.
