U.S. Government Offers $10 Million Bounty for Information on RedLine Malware Creators and State-Sponsored Hackers
The U.S. Department of State has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of individuals involved in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure using the RedLine infostealer.
TL;DR
The U.S. Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on individuals involved in cyber attacks using the RedLine infostealer against U.S. critical infrastructure. The bounty targets Russian national Maxim Alexandrovich Rudometov and other nation-state actors.
U.S. Offers $10 Million Bounty for Information on RedLine Malware Creators
U.S. Targets State Hackers and RedLine Malware Creator
The U.S. Department of State has announced a reward of up to $10 million for information on nation-state actors linked to the RedLine infostealer and its alleged creator, Russian national Maxim Alexandrovich Rudometov[^1].
U.S. authorities are particularly focused on the use of the infostealer in cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure organizations within the United States[^1].
This bounty is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program, which offers rewards for information on foreign government hackers targeting U.S. entities[^2].
"Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)," reads the U.S. Department of State’s announcement[^2].
"Maxim Alexandrovich Rudometov (Максим Александрович Рудомётов), born in 1999 in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, developed and has sold “information stealer” malware known as RedLine," the announcement continues[^2].
Maxim Rudometov has been deeply involved in the RedLine infostealer operation, managing its technical infrastructure and handling cryptocurrency accounts used to receive and launder payments. He is known online by several aliases, including “dendimirror,” “alinchok,” “makc1901,” and “bloodzz.fenix.” After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Rudometov reportedly fled to Krasnodar, Russia[^2].
"Anyone with information on foreign government-linked associates of Rudometov, or their malicious cyber activities, or foreign government-linked use of RedLine malware, should contact Rewards for Justice via the Tor-based tips-reporting channel at: he5dybnt7sr6cm32xt77pazmtm65flqy6irivtflruqfc5ep7eiodiad.onion (Tor browser required)," the announcement continues[^2].
In October 2024, the Dutch police announced the dismantling of the infrastructure used by RedLine and Meta infostealers as part of an international law enforcement operation led by Eurojust, code-named Operation Magnus[^3].
RedLine and the malware META targeted millions of victims worldwide, making it one of the largest malware platforms globally, according to Eurojust. Authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Australia participated in the operation[^3].
The following authorities were involved in Operation Magnus:
- Australia: Australian Federal Police
- The Netherlands: National Police, Team Cybercrime Limburg, Public Prosecution Service
- United States: Federal Bureau of Investigation; Naval Criminal Investigative Service; Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations; Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Army Criminal Investigation Division
- Belgium: Federal Prosecutor’s Office; Federal Police
- Portugal: Polícia Judiciária
- United Kingdom: National Crime Agency
Cybersecurity firm ESET also supported international law enforcement operations[^3].
Law enforcement agencies seized three servers in the Netherlands, seized two domains, unsealed charges in the United States, and took two people into custody in Belgium[^3].
The two infostealers allowed operators to harvest usernames, passwords, contact info, and crypto-wallets from victims. The threat actors sold this data to criminals for financial theft and hacking[^3].
"Investigations into RedLine and Meta started after victims came forward and a security company notified authorities about possible servers in the Netherlands linked to the software. Authorities discovered that over 1,200 servers in dozens of countries were running the malware. To take down the transnational malware, Eurojust coordinated cooperation between authorities from the Netherlands, the United States, Belgium, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Australia," reads the press release published by Eurojust[^3].
The police took control of the servers and sent a message to the alleged perpetrators, including a video showing that the international law enforcement coalition was able to obtain crucial data on their network and will shut down their criminal activities. Then Belgian authorities took down several Redline and Meta communication channels[^3].
The authorities also gained access to a database of clients of the two malware-as-a-service operations (RedLine and Meta). Eurojust confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing[^3].
ESET released a free online scanner for Redline and META that can help users detect and remove malware. The cybersecurity firm’s recommendations for malware victims are:
- Consult an expert: For thorough malware removal and system security, seek professional help if needed.
- Change passwords: After malware removal, update passwords for key accounts (email, banking, work, social media) and enable two-factor authentication.
- Use a password manager: Simplifies managing strong, unique passwords across accounts.
- Monitor financial accounts: Check bank statements and report any suspicious transactions promptly.
- Report stolen data: Notify relevant parties if sensitive details (e.g., payment info) may have been compromised.
- Update software: Keep your operating system, security software, and firewall up to date to patch vulnerabilities.
- Consider extra security layers: Use additional protection like a VPN for safer online activity.
- Long-term monitoring: Regularly check for unusual account activity to guard against potential identity theft.
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Conclusion
The U.S. Department of State’s bounty on information related to the RedLine infostealer and its creators underscores the serious threat posed by state-sponsored cyber attacks. International cooperation, as demonstrated in Operation Magnus, is crucial in dismantling such malicious operations and safeguarding critical infrastructure.
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