The German hotel network Motel One, known for providing tourists and business travelers with affordable prices, has fallen victim to the Alphv/Blackcat hacker group, as reported in a recent security advisory.
In a statement posted on a leakage website, the criminals have claimed to have stolen a staggering 24,449,137 files, totaling approximately 6 TB of data.
The stolen files include information such as reservation dates from the past 3 years, customer names, addresses, contacts, payment data, and other confidential information.
On the Tor website, a message addressed to Motel One representatives was also posted, expressing the hackers’ frustration with the lack of response from the hotel network:
“Dear representatives of Motel One, we are publishing this announcement as we have not received a response from you. We have removed 24,449,137 files, equivalent to about 6 TB of information. These files consist of confirmed reservations in PDF and RTF formats from the past 3 years, containing names, addresses, payment methods, and contact information. Additionally, the files contain a significant amount of your customers’ credit card data and internal documents that undoubtedly hold confidential information. The publication of this information will undoubtedly create negative media resonance and pose significant reputation and legal risks for your organization. We want to emphasize that your leadership is aware of the situation but continues to delay and make excuses. You have 5 days, after which your company will face a catastrophe.”
It is worth noting that the Alphv group has been very active recently, having claimed responsibility for hacking Clarion, a car audio and video equipment manufacturer. They have also been involved in high-profile incidents targeting hotel and entertainment networks such as MGM Resorts and Caesars.
Since their emergence in November 2021, the group has targeted numerous large companies, including SOLAR Industries India (manufacturer of explosive materials), NJVC (an American defense contractor), Creos Luxembourg S.A. (a gas-ship company), Moncler (a global fashion brand), as well as SWISSPORT, NCR, and Western Dig Ital.
The ransom demands from this group typically range from tens of thousands of dollars to tens of millions of dollars.