NASCAR Hit by Medusa Ransomware: A Comprehensive Analysis

WHAT

NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) has allegedly been hit by a major cybersecurity attack. The Medusa ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for breaching NASCAR's systems, demanding a $4 million ransom and threatening to release stolen internal data if payment isn't made within a specified timeframe. According to Medusa, they have exfiltrated over 1 terabyte of data (specifically 1038.70 GB) from NASCAR's systems.

WHO

• The Victim: NASCAR, one of the top-ranked motorsports organizations globally that sanctions over 1,500 races annually across multiple countries.

• The Attacker: The Medusa ransomware gang, a sophisticated cybercriminal group operating under a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.

• Other Potential Victims: Alongside NASCAR, Medusa has also claimed attacks against California healthcare provider Pulse Urgent Care, California insurer McFarland Commercial Insurance Services, Canadian industrial tooling solutions provider FS Tool Corporation, and UK construction and civil engineering company Bridgebank Ltd.

WHEN

• The attack was publicly disclosed on April 9, 2025, when NASCAR was added to Medusa's dark web leak site.

• Medusa posted about the breach on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, giving NASCAR 10 days to pay the ransom or risk having its data leaked to the public.

WHERE

• The attack targeted NASCAR's digital infrastructure, with the stolen data apparently coming from multiple organizational departments.

• Evidence suggests the breach affected several key system areas, as the leaked file structure contains folders named after engineering, accounting, race data, share data, and "work main" among others.

HOW

• While the specific entry point for this attack hasn't been confirmed, the FBI and CISA have noted that Medusa typically gains initial access through phishing campaigns and exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities.

• According to CISA, Medusa actors have been observed "disabling antivirus software, rebooting systems into Safe Mode, and deleting backup shadow copies before deploying encryption — all to ensure maximum disruption."

• Once inside, they employ a double extortion strategy: first stealing sensitive data, then encrypting systems, and finally threatening to release the stolen information if demands aren't met.

PROOF OF BREACH

• To prove their claims, the hackers have already posted 37 document images related to NASCAR as proof on their dark web leak site.

• Medusa has published screenshots of what it claims are internal documents - including some purporting to show the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of NASCAR employees and sponsors, as well as invoices, financial reports, and more.

• Some content appears to be confidential information, such as "detailed maps of raceway grounds, email addresses, names and titles of staff, and credential-related info, which suggests a real compromise of operational and logistical data."

RANSOM DEMANDS

• Medusa is demanding a $4 million ransom for the deletion of the stolen data.

• NASCAR has been given 10 days to pay, with a countdown timer displayed on Medusa's dark web blog.

• The attackers also offer to extend the deadline by one day for an additional $100,000.

• Another option would allow anyone to download the data immediately upon payment of the $4 million ransom.

NASCAR'S RESPONSE

• As of the latest reports, NASCAR has not yet confirmed or denied reports that it has been hit by a ransomware attack. However, the details published by Medusa on its leak site appear to be credible.

• While NASCAR has not commented on the incident, the authenticity of the report remains to be verified.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

• This isn't the first time NASCAR has been linked to a ransomware incident. In July 2016, a prominent NASCAR team suffered a major ransomware attack when its chief's computer was infected with a TeslaCrypt variant.

• NASCAR has reportedly faced two other hacking incidents this season: during a race weekend in Atlanta when someone hacked into the race's official radio, and when NASCAR's Twitter account was allegedly hacked alongside the NBA's.

SIGNIFICANCE

1. Scale of the Breach: The alleged theft of over 1 terabyte of data represents a massive security incident with potential implications for NASCAR's operations, partnerships, and reputation.

2. Broader Threat Landscape: The Medusa ransomware group has claimed nearly 400 victims since it first emerged in January 2023, with attacks witnessing a 42% increase between 2023 and 2024. In the first two months of 2025 alone, the group claimed over 40 attacks.

3. Critical Infrastructure Targeting: As of February 2025, Medusa developers and affiliates have impacted over 300 victims from various critical infrastructure sectors including medical, education, legal, insurance, technology, and manufacturing.

4. Financial Motives: Medusa has a track record of demanding ransoms anywhere between $100,000 up to $15 million, primarily targeting healthcare providers, non-profits, financial institutions, and government organizations.

PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS

Organizations should implement the following measures to protect against similar attacks:

1. Apply Security Updates: Keep all software and systems patched with the latest security updates.

2. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication: On March 13, 2025, the FBI and CISA issued a joint advisory urging organizations to strengthen their security measures, specifically recommending enabling two-factor authentication and monitoring systems for signs of unauthorized certificate use.

3. Backup Critical Data: Maintain regular, air-gapped backups of critical systems and data.

4. Employee Training: Conduct regular security awareness training to help staff identify phishing attempts.

5. Network Segmentation: Implement strong network segmentation to limit lateral movement in case of a breach.

6. Endpoint Protection: Deploy robust endpoint security solutions capable of detecting and blocking ransomware.

SOURCES

1. Bitdefender - "Medusa Ransomware Claims NASCAR Breach in Latest Attack" (April 2025)

2. Hackread - "Medusa Ransomware Claims NASCAR Breach in Latest Attack" (April 2025)

3. Newsweek - "Cyber Attack Rumors Swirl as NASCAR Faces $4 Million Ransom Demand" (April 2025)

4. SC Media - "NASCAR, Others Purportedly Hacked by Medusa Ransomware Gang" (April 2025)

5. Cybernews - "Did NASCAR Suffer Massive Data Theft? Medusa Ransomware Demands $4 Million" (April 2025)

6. EssentiallySports - "Who Is Medusa Ransomware? Meet the Infamous Cyber Threat Behind NASCAR's Leaked $4 Million Worth Nightmare" (April 2025)

7. CISA - "#StopRansomware: Medusa Ransomware" (March 2025)

8. The Hacker News - "Medusa Ransomware Hits 40+ Victims in 2025, Demands $100K–$15M Ransom" (March 2025)

9. Daily Dot - "Prominent Ransomware Gang Claims NASCAR Hack—Offers $4 Million Data Bounty" (April 2025)

10. Yardbarker - "NASCAR Allegedly Hit With Mysterious Ransomware Attack Requesting a Hefty Payout" (April 2025)

11. SuspectFile - "NASCAR Targeted by Medusa Ransomware: Over One Terabyte of Data Exfiltrated" (April 2025)

12. Xact Cybersecurity (YouTube) - Analysis of Medusa Ransomware (April 2025)

13. Cyber Daily - "NASCAR Suffers Alleged Cyber Crash as Hackers Take the Wheel" (April 2025)