{
  "id": "play",
  "name": "Play",
  "aliases": [],
  "domain": "cyber",
  "country": "UNK",
  "category": "Cybercriminal group",
  "status": "tracked",
  "fielded": null,
  "operators": [],
  "summary": "Play is a ransomware group that has been active since at least 2022 deploying Playcrypt ransomware against the business, government, critical infrastructure, healthcare, and media sectors in North America, South America, and Europe. Play actors employ a double-extortion model, encrypting systems after exfiltrating data, and are presumed by security researchers to operate as a closed group.",
  "specs": [
    {
      "k": "sponsor",
      "v": "Ransomware group",
      "src": [
        "mitre-g1040"
      ],
      "conf": "medium"
    },
    {
      "k": "active_since",
      "v": 2022,
      "src": [
        "mitre-g1040"
      ],
      "conf": "medium",
      "note": "At least 2022"
    },
    {
      "k": "attack_id",
      "v": "G1040",
      "src": [
        "mitre-g1040"
      ],
      "conf": "high"
    },
    {
      "k": "techniques_count",
      "v": 26,
      "src": [
        "mitre-g1040"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "ATT&CK v20.1"
    },
    {
      "k": "software",
      "v": "AdFind, BloodHound, Cobalt Strike, Empire, Mimikatz, Nltest, Playcrypt, PsExec, Wevtutil",
      "src": [
        "mitre-g1040"
      ],
      "conf": "high",
      "note": "9 malware and tool entries linked in ATT&CK"
    }
  ],
  "payloads": [],
  "variants": [],
  "art": "cyber",
  "image": null,
  "verified": null,
  "notes": "Play is a ransomware group that has been active since at least 2022 deploying Playcrypt ransomware against the business, government, critical infrastructure, healthcare, and media sectors in North America, South America, and Europe. Play actors employ a double-extortion model, encrypting systems after exfiltrating data, and are presumed by security researchers to operate as a closed group. Description adapted from MITRE ATT&CK®, © The MITRE Corporation, used under the ATT&CK Terms of Use.",
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-11-08",
      "change": "Entry created from MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v20.1 (group G1040)"
    }
  ],
  "url": "https://www.defensepedia.com/systems/play.html",
  "sources": {
    "mitre-g1040": {
      "title": "Play, Group G1040",
      "publisher": "MITRE ATT&CK",
      "url": "https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1040/",
      "published": "2026-07-31",
      "tier": 2,
      "checked": "2026-11-08"
    }
  }
}