Cybersecurity defenders around the world are watching the rise of Gunra ransomware, a relatively new threat that has rapidly evolved into one of the more concerning ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operations.
Recently, Gunra affiliates reportedly advertised a new affiliate program for 2026 on underground cybercrime forums, a worrying sign that this group plans to scale operations and recruit partners to deploy its malware more broadly. The original social post highlighting this development appeared on a dark web intelligence feed on X social media.
What the Gunra Affiliate Program Means
Ransomware-as-a-service is a business model embraced by many modern ransomware gangs. Instead of operating alone, ransomware authors lease out their code and infrastructure to affiliates who carry out attacks, splitting any ransom payments with the operators. This model greatly expands the reach and operational tempo of ransomware campaigns and encourages more attackers to enter the ransomware ecosystem. Experts have documented similar affiliate programs for major threat groups in the past, including Darkside and others.
The announcement of a 2026 affiliate program for Gunra suggests that the group is preparing to grow its operations and widen its partner base. This escalation could mean more attacks on companies, especially those without strong defenses.
Gunra’s Rapid Evolution
Though first observed in 2025, Gunra quickly showed characteristics of an aggressive threat actor. Research indicates the group now includes a Linux-compatible variant capable of running many concurrent encryption threads and supporting partial file encryption, increasing its effectiveness and reach across different platforms.
Gunra has also been linked to high-impact incidents, including claims of exfiltrated and encrypted data from the American Hospital in Dubai, a breach that reportedly affected vast amounts of sensitive patient information. Such attacks are expressed in “double extortion” tactics—where data is both encrypted and threatened with public release if a ransom is not paid—raising the stakes for victims.
Why Ransomware Affiliate Programs Matter
Affiliate programs are dangerous because they turn ransomware into a scalable criminal enterprise. Instead of the original developer needing to breach networks themselves, they rely on partners skilled in initial access, lateral movement, and privilege escalation. Those affiliates can focus on penetrating corporate systems, while the ransomware operator manages encryption and ransom negotiation.
This operational division expands the number of threat actors in play. It also leads to rapid proliferation of ransomware variants and attack campaigns because many affiliates can adapt and customize attacks for different environments and targets.
The Broader Ransomware Landscape
Gunra’s emergence coincides with a broader trend in ransomware activity. Analysts report that ransomware groups continue to diversify, with some campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, supply chains, and cloud environments, and others expanding into double and triple extortion schemes that add pressure on victims to pay. The overall ransomware ecosystem is more sophisticated and interconnected than ever before.
As ransomware affiliate programs proliferate, organizations face increased risk from both known and emerging threats. Traditional defensive approaches that emphasize detecting and responding to attacks are no longer sufficient against adversaries that can evade detection and strike rapidly.
Defenses Must Evolve
Businesses must shift from a reactive model to a proactive endpoint protection strategy that stops attacks before they execute. Traditional detect-and-respond tools may identify some malicious activity, but by the time they do, ransomware can already be encrypting files and disrupting operations.
That’s where AppGuard stands apart. With a proven 10-year track record of success, AppGuard uses Isolation and Containment techniques to neutralize malware behavior at the endpoint level before it can cause damage. Rather than waiting for malicious code to be detected based on signatures or patterns, AppGuard isolates risky activity so that even unknown or evolving threats like the Gunra ransomware and its affiliates cannot execute harmful actions.
Time to Act
The announcement of Gunra’s 2026 affiliate program shows that ransomware operations are organized, adaptive, and ready to scale. If your business relies solely on detection and response solutions, you may already be behind the curve.
Business leaders must take decisive action now.
Talk with us at CHIPS about how AppGuard’s Isolation and Containment approach can protect your organization against ransomware threats like Gunra. Shift from detect and respond to proactive defense, strengthen your endpoint security, and stay ahead of ransomware affiliates before they impact your operations.
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