Group-IB revealed its report on Jan. 15 and mentioned the strategy may make disruption more durable for defenders.
The malware reads on-chain information, so victims don’t pay fuel charges.
Researchers mentioned Polygon is just not weak, however the tactic may unfold.
Ransomware teams often depend on command-and-control servers to handle communications after breaking right into a system.
However safety researchers now say a low-profile pressure is utilizing blockchain infrastructure in a method that may very well be more durable to dam.
In a report revealed on Jan. 15, cybersecurity agency Group-IB mentioned a ransomware operation often called DeadLock is abusing Polygon (POL) sensible contracts to retailer and rotate proxy server addresses.
These proxy servers are used to relay communication between attackers and victims after programs are contaminated.
As a result of the data sits on-chain and could be up to date anytime, researchers warned that this method may make the group’s backend extra resilient and more durable to disrupt.
Sensible contracts used to retailer proxy data
Group-IB mentioned DeadLock doesn’t rely on the same old setup of fastened command-and-control servers.
As an alternative, as soon as a machine is compromised and encrypted, the ransomware queries a particular sensible contract deployed on the Polygon community.
That contract shops the most recent proxy handle that DeadLock makes use of to speak. The proxy acts as a center layer, serving to attackers preserve contact with out exposing their foremost infrastructure straight.
For the reason that sensible contract information is publicly readable, the malware can retrieve the small print with out sending any blockchain transactions.
This additionally means victims don’t must pay fuel charges or work together with wallets.
DeadLock solely reads the data, treating the blockchain as a persistent supply of configuration information.
Rotating infrastructure with out malware updates
One motive this methodology stands out is how shortly attackers can change their communication routes.
Group-IB mentioned the actors behind DeadLock can replace the proxy handle saved contained in the contract each time needed.
That offers them the flexibility to rotate infrastructure with out modifying the ransomware itself or pushing new variations into the wild.
In conventional ransomware instances, defenders can generally block visitors by figuring out identified command-and-control servers.
However with an on-chain proxy listing, any proxy that will get flagged could be changed just by updating the contract’s saved worth.
As soon as contact is established by the up to date proxy, victims obtain ransom calls for together with threats that stolen data shall be offered if fee is just not made.
Why takedowns turn into harder
Group-IB warned that utilizing blockchain information this fashion makes disruption considerably more durable.
There isn’t any single central server that may be seized, eliminated, or shut down.
Even when a particular proxy handle is blocked, the attackers can change to a different one with out having to redeploy the malware.
For the reason that sensible contract stays accessible by Polygon’s distributed nodes worldwide, the configuration information can live on even when the infrastructure on the attackers’ aspect adjustments.
Researchers mentioned this offers ransomware operators a extra resilient command-and-control mechanism in contrast with typical internet hosting setups.
A small marketing campaign with an ingenious methodology
DeadLock was first noticed in July 2025 and has stayed comparatively low profile thus far.
Group-IB mentioned the operation has solely a restricted variety of confirmed victims.
The report additionally famous that DeadLock is just not linked to identified ransomware affiliate programmes and doesn’t seem to function a public information leak website.
Whereas which will clarify why the group has obtained much less consideration than main ransomware manufacturers, researchers mentioned its technical method deserves shut monitoring.
Group-IB warned that even when DeadLock stays small, its method may very well be copied by extra established cybercriminal teams.
No Polygon vulnerability concerned
The researchers careworn that DeadLock is just not exploiting any vulnerability in Polygon itself.
It’s also not attacking third-party sensible contracts equivalent to decentralised finance protocols, wallets, or bridges.
As an alternative, the attackers are abusing the general public and immutable nature of blockchain information to cover configuration data.
Group-IB in contrast the method to earlier “EtherHiding” approaches, the place criminals used blockchain networks to distribute malicious configuration information.
A number of sensible contracts linked to the marketing campaign had been deployed or up to date between August and Nov. 2025, in accordance with the agency’s evaluation.
Researchers mentioned the exercise stays restricted for now, however the idea may very well be reused in many alternative varieties by different menace actors.
Whereas Polygon customers and builders should not going through direct danger from this particular marketing campaign, Group-IB mentioned the case is one other reminder that public blockchains could be misused to assist off-chain legal exercise in methods which are troublesome to detect and dismantle.
