Sergey Zelenyuk
Russian exploit broker; operator of Matrix LLC (Operation Zero), OFAC-sanctioned April 2026 for trafficking US government zero-days.
Last refreshed: 17 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Who runs Operation Zero and how did they build a public exploit marketplace for the Russian state?
Timeline for Sergey Zelenyuk
OFAC turns IP law on Operation Zero
Cybersecurity: Threats and Defences- Who is Sergey Zelenyuk and why was he sanctioned?
- Sergey Zelenyuk is a Russian national who operated Matrix LLC (Operation Zero), an exploit brokerage that bought and sold zero-day vulnerabilities including at least eight stolen from US government contractor L3Harris. OFAC designated him on 14 April 2026 under PAIPA.Source: OFAC designation April 2026 / DOJ
Background
Sergey Zelenyuk is a Russian national and the operator of Matrix LLC, the company that traded as Operation Zero, a commercial exploit brokerage that acquired and distributed zero-day vulnerabilities including at least eight stolen from US government contractor L3Harris by insider Peter Williams. On 14 April 2026, OFAC designated Zelenyuk under the Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (PAIPA) in the first cyber-sector use of that statute.
Zelenyuk ran Operation Zero as a publicly facing commercial broker, publishing price lists on the open internet offering up to $20 million for iOS full-chain exploits. The business model was explicitly Russian-government-oriented; a 2023 statement from the company said exploits would only be sold to Russian private-sector buyers or the Russian government. This public positioning, combined with published prices, made Operation Zero unusual in the exploit broker market, where most transactions are private.
The OFAC designation places Zelenyuk alongside Marina Vasanovich (his assistant), Oleg Kucherov (a suspected Trickbot operator), Kuseherov's Advance Security Solutions, UAE-registered Special Technology Services and Azizjon Mamashoyev as the identified corporate network around the Matrix LLC brokerage. The UAE vehicle was the structural mechanism for routing exploit acquisitions through Gulf entities to keep sanctioned Russian parties off the acquisition paperwork.
