Cybersecurity report

# Hive Ransomware's Offspring: Hunters International Takes the Stage

Bitdefender, November 9, 2023. The Hive-to-Hunters-International link: that on 20 October 2023 researchers first detected substantial code similarity between Hunters International and Hive ransomware samples (at least a 60% match), and that Hunters International disputed being a Hive rebrand, claiming instead to be an independent group that acquired Hive's source code and infrastructure..

**Source type:** Cybersecurity report

**Published:** November 9, 2023

**Research grade:** T2

**Used in entries:** 1

## Bibliographic record

**Publisher:** Bitdefender

**Published:** November 9, 2023

**Source type:** Cybersecurity report

**Research grade:** Source grade T2

**Language:** English

**Official record:** Not an official publication

**Address:** [https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/businessinsights/hive-ransomwares-offspring-hunters-international-takes-the-stage](https://www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/businessinsights/hive-ransomwares-offspring-hunters-international-takes-the-stage)

**What it supports:** The Hive-to-Hunters-International link: that on 20 October 2023 researchers first detected substantial code similarity between Hunters International and Hive ransomware samples (at least a 60% match), and that Hunters International disputed being a Hive rebrand, claiming instead to be an independent group that acquired Hive's source code and infrastructure.

**Dataset id:** src\_bitdefender\_hunters\_international\_2023

## Research notes

- Byline: Martin Zugec.
- Bitdefender's own assessment is that the acquisition claim is believable, given Hunters International's emphasis on exfiltration over encryption.

How this source is used

Cited 1 time across 1 record type.

The role on each citation records what the source was relied on for. A primary source establishes the fact, a supporting source corroborates it, technical evidence describes the infrastructure, and a later outcome records what happened afterwards.

Sources were reviewed to a research cutoff of August 23, 2026. Addresses recorded after that date are not reflected here.

## Cited by

### Later activity

1 citation

Cited for activity recorded after the takedown.

-
[Hunters International](https://takedownindex.org/takedowns/hive-ransomware-infiltration-and-seizure)

Relationship not established, Hive ransomware infiltration and seizure

Technical evidence

[All sources](https://takedownindex.org/sources)