Russian cybercriminal imprisoned for operating Mario Kart botnet

Ilya Angelov, a 40-year-old Russian national, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison for operating a botnet that was used to launch ransomware attacks against dozens of US businesses.

According to court documents, Angelov managed a cybercriminal group that was based in Russia and designated by the FBI as Mario Kart between 2017 and 2021.

Allegedly, the suspect and his coconspirators built a network of compromised computers, or a botnet, by distributing malware-infected files attached to spam emails. The Russian national distributed over 700,000 emails per day. At the height of the spam email campaign, approximately 3,000 computers were infected daily.

Once an unsuspecting victim clicked on the attachment, malware would infect their computer and add it to the Mario Kart botnet. The malware provided a backdoor through which software could be uploaded to victims’ computers.

Instead of exploiting this backdoor, access to the infected computers was sold to other criminal groups who engaged in ransomware extortion schemes. Victims were locked out of their computer networks, and the attackers demanded extortion payments to restore access.

The FBI has calculated that a total of 72 American business owners made over $14 million in extortion payments to a single ransomware gang with which Angelov’s group conspired. A second ransomware operation reportedly paid Angelov’s group more than $1 million for access to its botnet.

“Foreign cybercriminals like this defendant target American citizens and corporations. Their methods grow in sophistication. But their motive remains the same: to rip us off and harm us. We are grateful to the FBI and our other partners for their continued vigilance,” US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon said.

Angelov has pleaded guilty to operating a botnet with the intent to launch ransomware attacks against American companies.

US District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds has sentenced Angelov to 24 months in prison. The Russian national was also fined $100,000 and entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $1.6 million dollars.

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