The Washington Post has confirmed it was the victim of a significant data breach, exposing the highly sensitive personal and financial information of nearly 10,000 current and former employees and contractors.
The attack has been linked to the Clop ransomware group. Bad actors reportedly exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle’s E-Business Suite, a widely used enterprise software for managing HR and financial operations.
According to the Post’s data breach notification, the company was first alerted to the problem on September 29, 2025, when the bad actor contacted them directly.
Key facts about the breach:
- Attack Window: The attackers had unauthorized access to the Oracle environment for over six weeks, from July 10 to August 22, 2025.
- Number Affected: The breach exposed the data of 9,720 individuals.
- Data Stolen: The compromised information was extensive and includes full names, Social Security numbers, bank account and routing numbers, and tax ID numbers.
- Vulnerability: The attack vector was a previously unknown flaw, now identified as CVE-2025-61882, in the Oracle software.
- Discovery Lag: The breach was active for more than a month before the attackers themselves notified the company, after which an internal investigation confirmed the extent of the theft on October 27, 2025.
Below, we’ll discuss how the Clop ransomware gang typically operates and provide some general tips for reducing ransomware exposure.
If you’ve been victimized by ransomware, we’re here to help. Datarecovery.com provides a range of decryption, recovery, and post-recovery services, including penetration testing and dark web monitoring. To discuss your case with a ransomware expert, call 1-800-237-4200 or set up a case online.
Clop Ransomware Gang: Exploit Bugs, Exfiltrate Data, Extort Victims
Clop has a well-established history of targeting third-party software. This is the same group responsible for the massive MOVEit Transfer hack, which compromised thousands of organizations globally by exploiting a single vulnerability in a popular file-transfer tool.
Clop’s modus operandi is to identify a zero-day flaw in a widely used piece of enterprise software, exploit it to steal data from as many users as possible, and then issue extortion demands. We have been tracking Clop’s activities for years, and the Washington Post breach confirms their continued focus on high-impact supply-chain attacks.
An Action Plan for Ransomware Exposure
If you suspect your organization has been compromised by ransomware, the steps you take in the first few hours are critical.
- Isolate Affected Systems: Immediately disconnect compromised computers, servers, and devices from the network to prevent the ransomware from spreading.
- Do Not Pay the Ransom: Paying the demand funds criminal activity and offers no guarantee you will receive a working decryption key or that your stolen data won’t be leaked. Additionally, paying for ransomware is often illegal.
- Assess the Scope: Try to identify the point of entry and which systems are affected, but avoid deep forensic analysis at this stage.
- Consult Experts Before Restoring: Before you attempt to restore from any backup, speak with a ransomware recovery specialist. It’s important to identify the vulnerability that led to the breach to avoid reintroducing the infection.
Modern ransomware strains often include a dormancy period: The malware will infiltrate a network and remain hidden for weeks or months before activating.
Those strains are specifically designed to overcome backup strategies. When the attack is finally triggered, the organization restores its data from backups, which reinserts the malware into their key systems.
Export Resources for Ransomware Recovery
Datarecovery.com has decades of experience and purpose-built systems designed to handle sophisticated ransomware infections. Our engineers work to recover data, investigate the root cause, and restore operations to key systems.
If your organization is facing a ransomware attack, we’re ready to help you recover. Contact Datarecovery.com online or call 1-800-237-4200 to speak with a ransomware expert.
