Rackspace: A History of Hacks

Summary

This article delves into Rackspace’s cybersecurity vulnerabilities, examining multiple incidents including the 2022 Play ransomware attack, the 2024 zero-day exploit involving ScienceLogic, and the 2025 CL0P ransomware attack. It analyzes the technical details, consequences, and lessons learned from each incident, emphasizing the importance of proactive security measures in the face of evolving cyber threats. The article also considers the broader implications for cloud security and the ongoing challenges organizations face in protecting their data.

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** Main Story**

Let’s talk about Rackspace, a pretty big name in cloud computing. Thing is, they’ve had a rough go of it with cybersecurity. This article’s going to dig into some of the breaches they’ve faced, looking at what happened, the impact, and what we can all learn. We’re talking ransomware, zero-day exploits, the whole nine yards. It begs the question, what’s gone wrong, and what can we do to avoid similar pitfalls?

The 2022 Play Ransomware Attack: When Patches Wait

Remember back in December 2022? Rackspace’s Hosted Exchange environment got hit hard by the Play ransomware group. Nasty stuff. The bad guys exploited CVE-2022-41080, a vulnerability tied to the ProxyNotShell exploit chain. Now, here’s the kicker, a patch was available, but Rackspace held off on implementing it. Why? They were worried about causing authentication issues for their massive customer base. I get the concern, nobody wants to break things for users.

But, yeah, that decision backfired, big time. The Play ransomware attack crippled email services for a huge chunk of Rackspace’s customers. While Rackspace did help some move to Microsoft 365, the damage was done. Over half the affected customers lost access to email data after December 2nd. And, get this, 27 customers had their PST files straight-up stolen. Talk about a mess. This incident really highlights the tightrope walk between keeping services running smoothly and getting those critical security patches in place. What do you prioritize?

2024: Zero-Day Vulnerability and the Vendor Blame Game

Fast forward to September 2024. Rackspace got hit again. This time, it was a zero-day vulnerability in a third-party utility bundled with ScienceLogic’s SL1 monitoring software. Which is just great. This attack compromised internal monitoring data. We’re talking customer account details, usernames, device info, IP addresses, even encrypted credentials. Not good.

Rackspace and ScienceLogic scrambled to get a patch out, but, well, the blame game started. ScienceLogic pointed the finger at the third-party utility, but wouldn’t name names. Look, these situations are always complicated. It’s supply chain security at its worst. And you know how hard it can be to pinpoint responsibility when multiple vendors are in the mix. Plus, zero-day exploits? Those are the worst. By definition, there’s no patch ready when the attack hits.

The 2025 CL0P Ransomware Attack: Deja Vu?

Then, in March 2025, CL0P ransomware group claimed responsibility for an attack on Rackspace, and this time it feels like a bad joke. They supposedly exploited vulnerabilities in Cleo file transfer software, leaking stolen files on the dark web. Lovely. This attack was part of a bigger campaign by CL0P, hitting over 170 organizations using those same vulnerabilities. So clearly it wasn’t just a case of a one off attack. This highlighted some wider concerns for the security community.

After the 2022 and 2024 incidents, it raised serious questions about Rackspace’s overall cybersecurity game. Did they not learn from their past mistakes? A more proactive security strategy is what’s needed. It also drives home the fact that ransomware isn’t going anywhere. And you’ve gotta be ready for those potential extortion attempts. Because let’s be honest, it’s not if, it’s when.

Lessons Learned: Moving Forward

All these breaches, as awful as they are, offer some pretty important lessons for everyone in the cloud computing world.

• Proactive Security is Non-Negotiable: You can’t just react to threats. You need to be actively hunting them down, managing vulnerabilities, and constantly testing your security. Find the weaknesses before the bad guys do.

• Timely Patching: No Excuses: I get it. Downtime is scary. But delaying critical security patches can be catastrophic. Develop patching procedures that minimize disruption, but prioritize speed.

• Supply Chain Security: Know Your Vendors: That 2024 zero-day exploit? It showed how interconnected everything is. You have to scrutinize the security practices of your third-party vendors. Hold them accountable.

• Transparency and Communication: Build Trust: Be open about security incidents. It builds trust and lets your customers take the precautions they need to.

Rackspace’s experiences? They’re a stark reminder of the ever-present cyber threats we all face. A proactive, multi-layered security approach is a must. So is timely patching and a strong focus on supply chain security. That’s how you mitigate risks and protect valuable data. As of today, Rackspace is still dealing with the aftermath of these incidents. The question is, can they truly rebuild their reputation and become the fortress they need to be?