���ϳԹ���

Introduction‍

The recent leak of Black Basta’s chat logs has sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community. While the group’s name is intentionally provocative, the real concern lies in what these leaked conversations reveal—the inner workings of a well-known ransomware operation and how they exploit vulnerabilities to breach organizations. The logs mention 62 unique CVEs, many of which we at Immersive have already addressed through our labs and hands-on scenarios. All the vulnerabilities were released between 2017 and 2024, underscoring that cyber defense cannot rely on tech stacks alone. Teams and individuals across the workforce are essential to an effective defense strategy, and organizations must act with urgency to stay ahead of emerging threats by rapidly understanding and mitigating vulnerabilities through continuous upskilling and battle testing.

Immersive covers 80% of the Top 10 vulnerabilities used by Black Basta and released hands-on labs within 24 hours of their announcement to the public.

The Significance of the Black Basta Chat Logs‍

While security teams may focus on zero-days and novel threats, these chat logs confirm that cybercriminals routinely exploit weaknesses that have been public for years. Given their success, it’s clear that patching alone is an insufficient defense strategy.

Notably, more than 50 of those 62 vulnerabilities are known to have been exploited in the wild. Black Basta isn’t hunting for obscure zero-days alone – they are leaning heavily on publicly documented weaknesses that remain unpatched in many environments. Research confirms the gang clearly prefers targets with known vulnerabilities that already have available exploits, allowing them to strike quickly and efficiently.

Additionally, the logs reveal how quickly Black Basta capitalizes on newly-discovered vulnerabilities. In some instances, members discussed new CVEs within days of disclosure, indicating that attackers monitor vulnerability reports and security advisories as closely as defenders. 

This rapid adoption underscores the critical need for organizations to train their security teams to detect and mitigate threats as soon as they emerge rather than waiting until an exploit is already in active use. This blend of old and new tactics is a wake-up call for defenders: organizations must be prepared to tackle cutting-edge exploits while also monitoring for well-known vulnerabilities that ransomware gangs persistently abuse.

Key CVEs Identified in the Black Basta Logs‍

Among the 62 CVEs mentioned in the chat logs, several stand out as repeat offenders — vulnerabilities that ransomware groups frequently exploit due to slow patching cycles. Some of these CVEs include:

• CVE-2023-23397 (Microsoft Outlook NTLM Relay)
• CVE-2021-44228 (Log4Shell)
• CVE-2022-22965 (Spring4Shell)
• CVE-2022-41040 & CVE-2022-41082 (ProxyNotShell)
• CVE-2021-34527 (PrintNightmare)

Qualys also identified the Top 10 most actively exploited CVEs by Black Basta based on the logs:
‍

From the list above, Immersive covers 80% of these vulnerabilities and did so 24 hours after they were announced to the public.

How Immersive Responds in 24 Hours‍

Our goal as a threat intelligence team is to provide security teams with the skills and knowledge needed to combat real-world threats. When new vulnerabilities or attack techniques emerge, we respond by creating hands-on labs within 24 hours. This ensures organizations can:

• Understand the vulnerability through interactive scenarios.
• Develop effective response strategies.
• Harden systems before attackers strike.
• Gain muscle memory on reacting to vulnerabilities

Why Rapid Response Matters‍

Time is critical in cybersecurity. The faster security teams can understand and mitigate new threats, the lower the risk of a successful attack. Our rapid lab releases give organizations a head start in the following:

• Conducting internal threat assessments.
• Training security teams on real-world attack methods.
• Implementing immediate countermeasures.

Final Thoughts

The Black Basta chat log leak is a stark reminder that ransomware groups are methodical and opportunistic, reinforcing the need for security teams to engage in hands-on training and real-world scenarios. Understanding how these attackers operate is crucial for building a resilient defense. At Immersive, we empower organizations with the tools and knowledge to anticipate threats, recognize exploitation techniques, and respond in real-time—helping them stay ahead of attackers before they become the next target. Existing customers can put their skills to the test — explore our Black Basta collection now: .

To learn more about how Immersive supports your defense against emerging threats, check out our data sheet.

‍