The Agenda ransomware group, also known as Qilin, has escalated its operations in early 2025 by integrating SmokeLoader and NETXLOADER into its attack chains. This evolution targets critical sectors such as healthcare, finance, and telecommunications across the U.S., Brazil, India, and the Philippines, according to a Trend Micro report1. The group’s RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-Service) model now leverages AI-driven reconnaissance and polymorphic payloads, complicating defensive measures.
Technical Evolution of Agenda/Qilin
Agenda’s rebranding to Qilin in 2022 marked a shift toward more sophisticated tooling. The group’s 2025 campaigns utilize SmokeLoader for initial access, which employs anti-analysis techniques like opaque predicates and dynamic API resolution. NETXLOADER, a .NET-based loader, uses AES encryption and GZipStream for memory-only payload deployment, evading detection via JIT hooking (clrjit.dll modification)1. A Linux variant targeting VMware ESXi has been active since December 2023, expanding the group’s cross-platform reach.
AI-Enhanced Attack Tactics
Qilin’s integration of AI tools automates vulnerability scanning (e.g., unpatched Citrix/RDP) and crafts personalized phishing emails using LLMs (Large Language Models). CrowdStrike notes4 that these emails bypass spam filters via NLP (Natural Language Processing). The group’s ransomware now adjusts ransom demands dynamically based on victim cyber insurance data, a tactic observed in attacks on AWS/Azure GenAI services.
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Initial Access | Phishing (T1566), Exploit Public-Facing Apps (T1190) |
| Defense Evasion | Process Injection (T1055), Obfuscated Files (T1027) |
Mitigation Strategies
HC3 and Trend Micro recommend2:
- Enforcing zero-trust and least-privilege access controls.
- Deploying AI-driven XDR solutions (e.g., Trend Vision One).
- Prioritizing patches for VMware ESXi and Citrix vulnerabilities.
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)
Key IoCs from recent campaigns include:
SmokeLoader SHA-256:
54ff98956c3a0a3bc03a5f43d2c801ebcc1255bed644c78bad55d7f7beebd294
Domains:bloglake7[.]cfd,mxbook17[.]cfd
The group’s focus on financial sectors has resulted in 406 incidents between April 2024 and 2025, per Flashpoint data1. Defensive measures should include offline backups and AI-phishing simulations.
Conclusion
Agenda/Qilin’s adoption of SmokeLoader, NETXLOADER, and AI tools underscores the growing sophistication of ransomware threats. Proactive defense, including behavioral analysis and automated response tools, is critical to mitigating these risks.
