2023lock ransomware group
2023lock is one of the extortion operations we watch continuously. This page covers what is known about the group and the current state of its leak site.
Who they are
2023Lock is a ransomware strain first observed in January 2024, believed to be an evolution of the Venus and Zeoticus families and a direct precursor to the later TrinityLock variant. It employs a hybrid encryption method combining XChaCha20 and curve25519xsalsa20poly1305, appending the “.2023lock” extension to encrypted files. Upon infection, it delivers ransom notes in HTML, TXT, and HTA formats containing decryption instructions. Unlike many modern ransomware groups, there is no evidence that 2023Lock engages in double extortion or data exfiltration, operating purely through file encryption to pressure victims into payment. Its codebase and operational patterns strongly align with TrinityLock, which emerged a few months later with more sophisticated extortion tactics.
Current status
2023lock's leak site is not answering. Sites go dark for infrastructure trouble, a deliberate quiet period, or a takedown, and a good number return weeks later under the same name, so the entry stays on the list either way.
Which organisations this group has named, and when, is part of the SINON platform rather than this page. Create an account to search it, or to be told automatically if a name you care about turns up.
Sectors targeted
This group does not state an industry on its site, so we have nothing reliable to report. Most crews are opportunistic rather than sector-specific in any case — they hit what they can reach.
Watching for your name
If 2023lock posts your company, a supplier or a subsidiary, you want to hear it from us rather than from a journalist. SINON checks these sites continuously and alerts on the names you give it.
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