Google: Dozens of Organizations Impacted by Oracle-Linked Cybercrime Campaign

Google revealed that dozens of companies fell victim to a major cyberattack targeting Oracle's business software suite, marking what appears to be another massive data breach with far-reaching consequences. The tech giant estimates that huge amounts of customer data were stolen in an operation that likely began three months ago.

The attack hit Oracle's e-business applications, which companies use to manage everything from customer relationships and suppliers to manufacturing and logistics operations. This means the breach could affect critical business data across multiple industries.

Google's initial assessment suggests this wasn't a quick hit-and-run operation. The company noted that "this level of investment indicates that the party responsible for the initial breach likely allocated significant resources to pre-attack research." In other words, whoever did this spent serious time and money planning it out.

The hackers behind the attack are believed to be CL0P, a group with a long track record of large-scale breaches targeting third-party software providers and services. Google described this latest Oracle campaign as "a continuation of their successful and effective operational model."

Oracle confirmed earlier that ransomware activity was targeting its customers but hasn't responded to requests for additional comment about the scope of the breach. The company's business applications are widely used across industries, so the impact could extend well beyond the dozens of companies Google has identified so far.

For businesses using Oracle's systems, this breach highlights the ongoing vulnerability of enterprise software to sophisticated attackers. CL0P's approach of targeting widely-used business platforms allows them to hit multiple companies through a single point of entry, making these attacks particularly damaging and profitable for cybercriminals.