INSPECTING ARCHIVED INTELLIGENCE (OUTDATED VERSION).

Qilin ransomware group claims Die Linke German political party

| 2026-04-04 17:37 HIGH LOW RANSOMWARE & EXTORTION DATA BREACH
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Executive Summary
AI-generated
On April 1, 2026, the Qilin ransomware group claimed to have hacked German political party Die Linke, threatening to leak stolen data; however, the incident was later confirmed by the party as a non-breach. The attack is attributed to the Russian-speaking cybercrime organization, with approximately 123,126 members affected in Germany. According to the attackers' statement, they stole data from Die Linke and are planning to publish it on Tor-based portals using double-extortion tactics, encrypting data while threatening to leak it via these platforms; however, as of now, no samples have been shared by Qilin as proof of the breach.
Technical Mitigations AI-generated
• Patch vulnerabilities in Tor-based portals to prevent data leaks. • Monitor for Qilin ransomware group's use of double-extortion tactics and customize defenses accordingly. • Implement robust phishing detection measures, leveraging global bulletproof hosting networks' known vulnerabilities.
Intelligence Metadata
Actors / Malware / CVEs / Campaigns
QilinQilin
Target & Sectors
DACH DACH
Incident Timeline
‎2026/04/04
The Qilin ransomware group claims to have stolen data from Germany's Die Linke political party.
victims 40 victims
Qilin ransomware  operation has been active since 2022, it has become one of the most active RaaS groups in 2025, claiming over 40 victims monthly and peaking at 100 in June.
data_breach 123,126 members
As of the latest official data , Die Linke has about 123,126 members (end of 2025).
Tactical Metrics
Metrics
victims
40
Victims
Qilin ransomware  operation has been active since 2022, it has become one of the most active RaaS groups in 2025, claiming over 40 victims monthly and peaking at 100 in June.
Metrics
data_breach
123,126
Members
As of the latest official data , Die Linke has about 123,126 members (end of 2025).
Intelligence Sources
Security Affairs 2026-04-04