The U.S. Department of State has announced a substantial reward of up to $10 million for information that leads to the identification of state-sponsored hackers associated with the RedLine infostealer malware. This initiative specifically targets individuals linked to Russian national Maxim Alexandrovich Rudometov, who is suspected to be the creator behind the infamous malware operation.
The bounty is part of the Department’s Rewards for Justice program, which was established to incentivize tips that help identify foreign government threat actors involved in cyberattacks against U.S. entities. The program has facilitated over $250 million in rewards to individuals who provided critical leads that enhanced U.S. national security.
The State Department declared, “Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).” Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Rewards for Justice via the Tor-based tips-reporting channel.
In October, Rudometov was charged in the United States following an international law enforcement effort codenamed ‘Operation Magnus.’ The U.S. Justice Department detailed that Rudometov managed the technical infrastructure of the RedLine malware and had affiliations with various cryptocurrency accounts linked to laundering activities. If convicted, he faces a potential prison sentence of up to 35 years for serious charges including access device fraud and conspiracy.
Recent international law enforcement actions, including efforts by the Dutch police, have succeeded in disrupting the RedLine and META malware platforms, which have been responsible for the theft of millions of account credentials. Authorities seized significant assets, arrested two suspects in Belgium, and dismantled key command and control operations related to these illicit malware operations. For potential victims, cybersecurity firm ESET has released an online scanner to help check for infections by RedLine or META malware.