Hackers deployed wiper malware in destructive attacks on Venezuela’s energy sector

Researchers reported a targeted destructive malware campaign in late 2025 that used a previously unknown wiper, dubbed Lotus Wiper, to erase files and render infected Windows systems unrecoverable; activity targeted Venezuela's energy and utilities sector, with the wiper compiled in late September 2025 and a related sample uploaded from Venezuela in December. Kaspersky noted the attack appears non-financial and likely prepared months in advance, but affected organizations were not publicly identified and attribution remains unknown.