Treasury Sanctions Russian ‘Exploit’ Broker Over Stolen US Cyber Tools
Decrypt
by Jason NelsonFebruary 24, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on Sergey Zelenyuk, a Russian national and his St. Petersburg-based firm, Matrix LLC, also known as "Operation Zero," for brokering stolen U.S. government cyber tools. This marks the first use of the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act to target individuals involved in the theft and sale of digital trade secrets. Zelenyuk and Operation Zero are accused of dealing in "exploits"—code or techniques that exploit vulnerabilities in software to gain unauthorized access, steal data, or take control of systems. The company openly offered multimillion-dollar bounties for exploits targeting U.S.-built software on platforms like X.
Operation Zero specialized in selling stolen cyber tools developed exclusively for the U.S. government and its allies. These tools were meant for restricted use but were illegally acquired by Peter Williams, an Australian former defense contractor who pleaded guilty to stealing eight trade secrets worth $1.3 million in cryptocurrency payments. The stolen tools were then sold to Operation Zero, which further developed spyware and AI-based tools to extract sensitive data and recruited hackers through social media.
The sanctions also target Oleg Vyacheslavovich Kucherov, a suspected member of the Trickbot cybercrime gang, and Marina Evgenyevna Vasanovich, Zelenyuk's assistant. The Treasury Department highlighted that Operation Zero operated exclusively for Russian clients, offering offensive security research and software code to government and private entities in Russia. This case underscores the growing threat of zero-day exploits being weaponized by state-sponsored actors and cybercriminals, posing significant risks to global cybersecurity.
This action highlights the U.S. government's increasing focus on protecting intellectual property and countering malicious cyber activities. By leveraging the new trade secrets sanctions law, the Treasury Department has set a precedent for addressing the theft of digital assets, signaling a tougher stance against adversaries exploiting vulnerabilities in critical systems. The use of cryptocurrency as a payment method in these transactions also underscores its role in facilitating illegal activities and its growing importance in global law enforcement efforts.
This case is particularly relevant to readers interested in crypto, as it involves high-value cryptocurrency payments to brokers like Operation Zero for stolen cyber tools. The sanctions not only target individuals but also aim to disrupt the broader ecosystem of exploit sales, which often rely on blockchain-based transactions. By taking action against these entities, the U.S. is sending a clear message about the consequences of trading in stolen digital assets and underscores the need for greater transparency in cryptocurrency transactions.
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Originally published on Decrypt on 2/24/2026