A parts manufacturer for SpaceX and Tesla says it was hacked
By Zack Whittaker, Kirsten Korosec
Published: 2020-03-02 · Archived: 2026-04-05 17:57:13 UTC
A precision parts maker for space and defense contractors has confirmed a “cybersecurity incident,” which
TechCrunch has learned was likely caused by ransomware.
Visser Precision, a Denver, Colorado-based manufacturer, makes custom parts for a number of industries,
including automotive and aeronautics. In a brief statement, the company confirmed it was “the recent target of a
criminal cybersecurity incident, including access to or theft of data.”
The company said it “continues its comprehensive investigation of the attack, and business is operating normally,”
a spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Security researchers say the attack was caused by the DoppelPaymer ransomware, a new kind of file-encrypting
malware which first exfiltrates the company’s data. The ransomware threatens to publish the stolen files if the
ransom is not paid.
DoppelPaymer is the latest in an emerging list of data-stealing ransomware. In December, security staffing firm
Allied Universal was one of the first companies that had sensitive employee and business data published after the
company declined to pay a $2.3 million ransom for the data.
Brett Callow, a threat analyst at security firm Emsisoft, first alerted TechCrunch to the website that was publishing
files stolen by the DoppelPaymer ransomware.
The website contains a list of files stolen from Visser, including folders with customer names — including Tesla,
SpaceX, and aircraft maker Boeing, and defense contractor Lockheed Martin. A portion of the files were made
available for download. (We are not linking to the ransomware’s website.) The documents included non-disclosure
agreements between Visser and both Tesla and SpaceX. Another file appeared to be a partial schematic for a
missile antenna was marked as containing “Lockheed Martin proprietary information.”
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Spokespeople for Tesla, SpaceX, and Boeing and did not immediately comment outside business hours.
A Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the company is “aware of the situation with Visser Precision and are
following our standard response process for potential cyber incidents related to our supply chain.”
The DoppelPaymer ransomware has been active since mid-last year, and its victims have included the Chilean
government and Pemex, Mexico’s state-owned petroleum company. But unlike the Maze ransomware, from which
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/01/visser-breach/
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DoppelPaymer derives much of its data-stealing inspiration, the ransom note does not say that data has been
stolen. Instead, it’s only disclosed if the company goes to the ransomware’s website to pay.
“Some companies may not even realize that their data has been exfiltrated prior to it being published,” said
Callow.
The website hosting the stolen files said there was a “lot” more files to be published.
“Data theft is a strategy that multiple groups have now adopted and, consequently, ransomware incidents should
be treated as data breaches until it can be established they are not,” said Callow.
Updated with Lockheed comment.
Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this
week in security.
He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or
to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com.
View Bio
Kirsten Korosec is a reporter and editor who has covered the future of transportation from EVs and autonomous
vehicles to urban air mobility and in-car tech for more than a decade. She is currently the transportation editor at
TechCrunch and co-host of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast. She is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast, “The
Autonocast.” She previously wrote for Fortune, The Verge, Bloomberg, MIT Technology Review and CBS
Interactive.
You can contact or verify outreach from Kirsten by emailing kirsten.korosec@techcrunch.com or via encrypted
message at kkorosec.07 on Signal.
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Source: https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/01/visser-breach/
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/01/visser-breach/
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