KAWA4096, a ransomware whose name includes “Kawa”, the Japanese word for “river”, first emerged in June 2025. This new threat features a leak site that follows the style of the Akira ransomware group, and a ransom note format similar to Qilin’s, likely an attempt to further enrich their visibility and credibility. In this blog post, we’ll share key insights from an analyzed KAWA4096 sample to uncover how this ransomware operates and what sets it apart.