Jaff ransomware group
Jaff 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, which we last saw change 2y ago.
Who they are
Jaff is a ransomware family first discovered in May 2017, notable for its distribution via large-scale spam campaigns operated by the Necurs botnet. These campaigns delivered malicious PDF attachments that contained embedded Word documents with macros, which, when enabled, downloaded the ransomware payload. Jaff encrypts victim files using RSA and AES encryption and appends extensions such as .jaff, .wlu, or .sVn depending on the variant. The ransom note, typically named ReadMe.html or ReadMe.bmp, directs victims to a payment site hosted on the Tor network. The ransomware demands payment in Bitcoin and displays a custom payment portal interface. Jaff was initially believed to be linked to the Locky ransomware operators due to similarities in distribution methods, ransom portal design, and its use of Necurs, though later analysis suggested it was operated by a separate group. Its activity was short-lived, with most campaigns ceasing within weeks of its discovery.
Current status
Jaff'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.
The last change we recorded on it was 2y ago (10 Dec 2024 04:28 UTC).
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 Jaff 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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