SecuriTricks - espionage

Network devices compromised for adversary-in-the-middle attacks

China-aligned threat actor PlushDaemon has been conducting espionage operations since 2018, targeting entities in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, South Korea, the United States, and New Zealand. The group employs a custom backdoor called SlowStepper and uses a network implant named EdgeStepper …

apt

espionage

china

adversary-in-the-middle

dns hijacking

slowstepper

software update hijacking

Published: November 19, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 4

PlushDaemon compromises network devices for adversary-in-the-middle attacks

China-aligned threat actor PlushDaemon has been conducting espionage operations since 2018, targeting entities in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, South Korea, the United States, and New Zealand. The group employs a custom backdoor called SlowStepper and uses a network implant named EdgeStepper …

apt

espionage

china

adversary-in-the-middle

dns hijacking

slowstepper

software update hijacking

Published: November 19, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 7

Frontline Intelligence: Analysis of UNC1549 TTPs, Custom Tools, and Malware Targeting the Aerospace and Defense Ecosystem

UNC1549, an Iranian-linked threat group, has been targeting aerospace, aviation, and defense industries since mid-2024. They employ sophisticated initial access techniques, including exploiting third-party relationships and targeted phishing. The group uses custom malware like TWOSTROKE, LIGHTRAIL,…

third-party compromise

Published: November 18, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 16

Phantom Taurus: A New Chinese Nexus APT and the Discovery of the NET-STAR Malware Suite

Phantom Taurus, a newly identified Chinese state-sponsored threat actor, has been conducting espionage operations targeting government and telecommunications organizations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The group's primary focus includes ministries of foreign affairs, embassies, and mili…

Published: September 30, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 4

Updated Toneshell backdoor and novel SnakeDisk USB worm dropped

In mid-2025, China-aligned threat actor Hive0154 deployed new malware variants, including an updated Toneshell backdoor and a novel USB worm called SnakeDisk. Toneshell9 evades detection and supports C2 communication through local proxies. SnakeDisk only executes on devices in Thailand, propagating…

Published: September 11, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 7

EggStreme Malware: Unpacking a New APT Framework Targeting a Philippine Military Company

A Chinese APT group compromised a Philippine military company using a new, fileless malware framework called EggStreme. This sophisticated multi-stage toolset achieves persistent, low-profile espionage by injecting malicious code directly into memory and leveraging DLL sideloading. The core compone…

eggstremereflectiveloader

Published: September 10, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 12

Malicious Campaign Targeting Diplomatic Assets

An Iranian-aligned spear-phishing campaign masquerading as Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs communications targeted global government entities. The operation used compromised mailboxes to distribute malicious Word documents containing VBA macros. When executed, these macros decoded and deployed a …

Published: September 3, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 1

Operation HanKook Phantom: Spear-Phishing Campaign

APT37, a North Korean state-backed cyber espionage group, has launched a sophisticated spear-phishing campaign targeting South Korean government sectors, research institutions, and academics. The attackers use malicious LNK files disguised as legitimate documents to deliver a multi-stage infection …

Published: August 29, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

PRC-Nexus Espionage Campaign Hijacks Web Traffic to Target Diplomats

A sophisticated cyber espionage campaign attributed to the PRC-nexus threat actor UNC6384 targeted diplomats in Southeast Asia and other global entities. The attack chain involved hijacking web traffic through a captive portal redirect to deliver malware disguised as software updates. The multi-sta…

Published: August 26, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 9

Pressure on Ukraine and Poland Continues

Recent analysis reveals two clusters of malicious archives targeting Ukraine and Poland since April 2025, linked to UAC-0057 (also known as UNC1151, FrostyNeighbor or Ghostwriter). The infection chains aim to collect system information and deploy implants for further exploitation, using readily ava…

Published: August 20, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Operation Cargotalon: Targeting Russian Aerospace Defense Using Eaglet Implant

UNG0901, a threat group targeting Russian aerospace and defense sectors, has been discovered conducting a spear-phishing campaign against the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association. The operation, dubbed 'CargoTalon', utilizes a custom DLL implant called EAGLET, which is disguised as a ZIP file c…

Published: July 24, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 16

Phish and Chips: China-Aligned Espionage Actors Ramp Up Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Targeting

Between March and June 2025, three Chinese state-sponsored threat actors conducted targeted phishing campaigns against the Taiwanese semiconductor industry. The campaigns targeted organizations involved in semiconductor manufacturing, design, testing, supply chain, and financial analysis. This acti…

Published: July 17, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 54

Fog Ransomware: Unusual Toolset Used in Recent Attack

A financial institution in Asia was targeted by Fog ransomware in May 2025, using an atypical toolset including legitimate employee monitoring software and open-source pentesting tools. The attackers deployed Syteca, GC2, Adaptix, and Stowaway, which are uncommon in ransomware attacks. They remaine…

employee monitoring software

financial institution

pentesting tools

2025-06-17

Published: June 17, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-40711 (CVSS 9.8)

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Operation Endgame 2.0

International law enforcement agencies have taken additional actions in Operation Endgame, targeting cybercriminal organizations, particularly those behind DanaBot. DanaBot is a powerful modular malware family written in Delphi, capable of keylogging, capturing screenshots, recording desktop videos…

Published: May 23, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 9

Targets Tajikistan: New Macro Word Documents Phishing Tactics

From January to February 2025, a phishing campaign targeting Tajikistan was detected and attributed to TAG-110, a Russia-aligned threat actor. The campaign used Tajikistan government-themed documents as lures, shifting from previous tactics to macro-enabled Word template files for initial payload d…

Published: May 22, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 6

Operation RoundPress targeting high-value webmail servers

ESET researchers have uncovered a Russia-aligned espionage operation named RoundPress, targeting high-value webmail servers through XSS vulnerabilities. The campaign, attributed to the Sednit group, aims to steal confidential data from specific email accounts. Initially focused on Roundcube in 2023…

Published: May 18, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-27443, CVE-2024-11182 (CVSS 6.1), CVE-2020-35730, CVE-2023-23397, CVE-2023-43770

Downloadable IOCs: 16

Marbled Dust leverages zero-day in Output Messenger for regional espionage

A Türkiye-affiliated espionage threat actor, Marbled Dust, has been exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Output Messenger since April 2024. The attacks target Kurdish military entities in Iraq, allowing the actor to deliver malicious files and exfiltrate data. The exploit involves a directory tra…

Published: May 13, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2025-27920 (CVSS 9.8), CVE-2025-27921 (CVSS 6.1)

Downloadable IOCs: 3

Iranian Cyber Actors Impersonate Model Agency in Suspected Espionage Operation

Iranian cyber actors have been identified impersonating a German model agency in a suspected espionage operation. The attackers created a fraudulent website mimicking the authentic agency's branding and content, which triggers obfuscated JavaScript to capture detailed visitor information. This data…

Published: May 7, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 3

Earth Kasha Updates TTPs in Latest Campaign Targeting Taiwan and Japan

Earth Kasha, an APT group believed to be part of APT10, has launched a new campaign in March 2025 targeting government agencies and public institutions in Taiwan and Japan. The campaign uses spear-phishing to deliver an updated version of the ANEL backdoor, potentially for espionage purposes. Key u…

Published: May 1, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 36

BRICKSTORM Backdoor Analysis: A Persistent Espionage Threat to European Industries

This analysis examines BRICKSTORM, an espionage backdoor linked to China-nexus cluster UNC5221. It details newly identified Windows variants, expanding on previous Linux presence. The backdoor, used in long-term espionage campaigns, targets European industries of strategic interest to China. BRICKS…

Published: April 16, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 4

Ghost in the Router: China-Nexus Espionage Actor UNC3886 Targets Juniper Routers

Mandiant discovered China-nexus espionage group UNC3886 deploying custom backdoors on Juniper Networks' Junos OS routers in mid-2024. The actor used TINYSHELL-based backdoors with various capabilities, including active and passive functions and log disabling. UNC3886 demonstrated advanced system kn…

network infrastructure

Published: April 11, 2025

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2025-21590 (CVSS 4.4), CVE-2022-41328, CVE-2025-22457 (CVSS 9.0)

Downloadable IOCs: 14

Lotus Blossom espionage group targets multiple industries with different versions of Sagerunex and hacking tools

The Lotus Blossom espionage group has been conducting cyber espionage campaigns targeting government, manufacturing, telecommunications, and media sectors in the Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The group employs various versions of the Sagerunex backdoor, including new variants that us…

Published: April 4, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Suspected China-Nexus Threat Actor Actively Exploiting Critical Ivanti Connect Secure Vulnerability (CVE-2025-22457)

A critical security vulnerability, CVE-2025-22457, affecting Ivanti Connect Secure VPN appliances has been actively exploited since mid-March 2025. The vulnerability allows remote code execution through a buffer overflow. Two new malware families, TRAILBLAZE and BRUSHFIRE, have been deployed along …

espionage

zero-day

vpn

remote code execution

ivanti connect secure

spawnwave

Published: April 4, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Weaver Ant, the Web Shell Whisperer: Tracking a China-Nexus Cyber Operation

Sygnia uncovered a sophisticated China-nexus threat actor, Weaver Ant, targeting a major Asian telecom company. The group employed web shells and tunneling techniques for persistence and lateral movement, maintaining access for over four years. They utilized encrypted China Chopper and custom 'INMe…

Published: March 25, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 1

Operation FishMedley targeting governments, NGOs, and think tanks

ESET researchers have uncovered a global espionage operation called Operation FishMedley, conducted by the FishMonger APT group, which is operated by the Chinese contractor I-SOON. The campaign targeted governments, NGOs, and think tanks across Asia, Europe, and the United States during 2022. The a…

Published: March 21, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 12

Windows Shortcut Exploit Abused as Zero-Day in Widespread APT Campaigns

A Windows .lnk file vulnerability, ZDI-CAN-25373, has been extensively exploited by state-sponsored and cybercriminal groups. The vulnerability allows hidden command execution through crafted shortcut files, exposing organizations to data theft and cyber espionage risks. Nearly 1,000 malicious .lnk…

Published: March 18, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 851

Russian State Actors: Development in Group Attributions

This analysis explores the evolution of Russian state-backed cyber actors and their operations. It highlights the activities of several prominent groups, including UNC2589, APT44 (Sandworm), APT29, and APT28. These actors, associated with various Russian intelligence agencies, have been involved in…

Published: March 8, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Squidoor: Suspected Chinese Threat Actor’s Backdoor Targets Global Organizations

Since at least March 2023, a suspected Chinese threat actor has been targeting government, defense, telecommunications, education, and aviation sectors in Southeast Asia and South America. The attackers employ a sophisticated backdoor known as Squidoor, which affects both Windows and Linux systems.…

Published: February 27, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 30

Chinese APT Target Royal Thai Police in Malware Campaign

A malware campaign targeting the Royal Thai Police has been identified, using seemingly legitimate FBI-related documents to deliver the Yokai backdoor. The attack, consistent with the Chinese APT group Mustang Panda, involves a RAR archive containing a shortcut file that executes ftp.exe to process…

Published: February 26, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Inside the Scam: North Korea's IT Worker Threat

North Korea has exploited remote work opportunities to infiltrate international companies with fraudulent IT workers, generating revenue and posing cybersecurity risks. The group PurpleBravo targets cryptocurrency firms using malware like BeaverTail and InvisibleFerret. At least seven suspected Nor…

Published: February 13, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 43

Supply chain of Korean VPN service compromised

ESET researchers have uncovered a supply-chain attack against a South Korean VPN provider by a previously unknown China-aligned APT group named PlushDaemon. The attackers replaced the legitimate VPN installer with a malicious version that deployed their SlowStepper backdoor, a feature-rich implant …

Published: January 22, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

The ticket that doesn't exist: a new threat discovered - FakeTicketer

A new threat actor named FakeTicketer has been identified by F.A.C.C.T. Threat Intelligence, operating since June 2024 with a focus on espionage. The actor targets government officials and sports functionaries using malicious software disguised as tickets for Russian Premier League football matches…

Published: January 22, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Unveiling Silent Lynx APT Targeting Entities Across Kyrgyzstan & Neighboring Nations

A new threat group dubbed Silent Lynx has been uncovered targeting entities in Kyrgyzstan and neighboring nations. The group, believed to be Kazakhstan-based, employs sophisticated multi-stage attack strategies using ISO files, C++ loaders, PowerShell scripts, and Golang implants. Their campaigns f…

xerox_scan17510875802718752175.exe

kyrgyzstan

resocks

Published: January 21, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 12

Threat Bulletin: Weaponized Software Targets Chinese-Speaking Organizations

A series of attacks targeting Chinese-speaking regions has been identified, utilizing a multi-stage loader named PNGPlug to deliver ValleyRAT payload. The attack begins with a phishing webpage encouraging victims to download a malicious MSI package disguised as legitimate software. The installer de…

Published: January 20, 2025

Downloadable IOCs: 52

Hidden in Plain Sight: New Attack Chain Delivers Espionage RATs

An advanced persistent threat group, TA397, targeted a Turkish defense organization with a sophisticated attack chain. The campaign used a RAR archive containing a decoy PDF, a shortcut file, and an Alternate Data Stream with PowerShell code. The infection process involved creating a scheduled task…

alternate data streams

Published: December 17, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

U.S. Organization in China Targeted by Attackers

A large U.S. entity with significant operations in China faced a four-month-long cyber intrusion, likely conducted by a China-based threat actor. The attackers obtained persistent network access, laterally moved across systems, compromised Exchange servers to harvest emails, and deployed exfiltrati…

Published: December 6, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 13

Snowblind: The Invisible Hand of Secret Blizzard

A Russian-based threat actor, Secret Blizzard, has infiltrated 33 command-and-control nodes of a Pakistani-based actor, Storm-0156. Over two years, Secret Blizzard leveraged this access to deploy malware into Afghan government networks and potentially acquired data from Pakistani operators' worksta…

Published: December 5, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Frequent freeloader part I: Secret Blizzard compromising Storm-0156 infrastructure for espionage

The Russian state-sponsored threat actor Secret Blizzard has been observed compromising the infrastructure of Storm-0156, a Pakistan-based espionage group, to conduct their own espionage operations. Since November 2022, Secret Blizzard has used Storm-0156's backdoors to deploy their own malware on …

Published: December 5, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

TaxOff: You've Got a Backdoor...

A sophisticated threat group named TaxOff has been discovered targeting Russian government agencies. The group uses phishing emails with legal and financial themes to deliver the Trinper backdoor, a multithreaded C++ malware with advanced features. Trinper employs STL containers, custom serializati…

Published: December 3, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 11

Chinese hackers exploit Fortinet VPN zero-day to steal credentials

Chinese threat actors, known as BrazenBamboo, are exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Fortinet's FortiClient Windows VPN client to steal credentials. The hackers use a custom post-exploitation toolkit called DeepData, which includes a FortiClient plugin to extract usernames, passwords, and VPN s…

Published: November 18, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Malware Spotlight: A Deep-Dive Analysis of WezRat

Check Point Research provides a comprehensive analysis of WezRat, a custom modular infostealer attributed to the Iranian cyber group Emennet Pasargad. The malware has been active for over a year, targeting organizations in multiple countries. WezRat's capabilities include executing commands, taking…

Published: November 14, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Hamas-affiliated Threat Actor WIRTE Continues its Middle East Operations and Moves to Disruptive Activity

Check Point Research has been tracking ongoing activity of the WIRTE threat actor, associated with Hamas, despite the ongoing conflict in the region. The group continues to target entities in the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia for espionage. WIRTE has expanded its oper…

Published: November 12, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 90

Cloudy With a Chance of RATs: Unveiling APT36 and the Evolution of ElizaRAT

APT36, also known as Transparent Tribe, is a Pakistan-based threat actor targeting Indian government and military entities. Their campaigns utilize ElizaRAT, a Windows Remote Access Tool that has evolved to enhance evasion techniques and C2 communication. Recent campaigns employ cloud services like…

Published: November 4, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 23

Rat King: How the Android Trojan CraxsRAT Steals User Data

CraxsRAT, an Android trojan, has been targeting Russian and Belarusian users since summer 2024. It masquerades as legitimate apps like government services, antivirus software, and telecom operators. The malware spreads through social engineering tactics, prompting users to download malicious APK fi…

Published: October 31, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Hybrid Russian Espionage and Influence Campaign Aims to Compromise Ukrainian Military Recruits and Deliver Anti-Mobilization Narratives

A Russian hybrid espionage and influence operation, dubbed UNC5812, targets potential Ukrainian military recruits through a Telegram persona called 'Civil Defense'. The campaign delivers Windows and Android malware, including SUNSPINNER, PURESTEALER, and CRAXSRAT, while simultaneously spreading ant…

Published: October 28, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-47575 (CVSS 9.8)

Downloadable IOCs: 3

SideWinder APT's post-exploitation framework analysis

SideWinder APT group has expanded its activities, targeting high-profile entities in the Middle East and Africa. The group employs a multi-stage infection chain using spear-phishing emails with malicious attachments. A new post-exploitation toolkit called 'StealerBot' has been discovered, designed …

backdoor loader module

stealerbot

rtf exploit

Published: October 15, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2017-11882

Downloadable IOCs: 158

Analyzing Recent Cyber Attacks in the United States Coinciding with Columbus Day Celebration

The United States has experienced a significant increase in cyber attacks from June to October 2024, with over 800 organizations affected by ransomware across various sectors. Play, RansomHub, Lockbit, Qilin, and Meow have emerged as the most active ransomware groups. Notable incidents include the …

critical infrastructure

united states

Published: October 10, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 0

Kimsuky: A Gift That Keeps on Giving

This analysis details a sophisticated cyber attack attributed to the North Korean-linked Kimsuky APT group. The attack begins with an LNK file, leading to the execution of obfuscated VBS scripts. These scripts create scheduled tasks, modify registry keys for persistence, and establish communication…

Published: September 20, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 2

Threat Assessment: North Korean Threat Groups

This assessment evaluates several North Korean threat groups operating under the Reconnaissance General Bureau. It describes their organizational structure, objectives, and the diverse malware families employed in their recent campaigns targeting various industries worldwide. The analysis covers 10…

Published: September 10, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 58

The Malware That Must Not Be Named: Suspected Espionage Campaign Delivers 'Voldemort'

Proofpoint researchers uncovered an unusual campaign delivering custom malware named "Voldemort". The activity impersonated tax authorities from various countries and targeted dozens of organizations worldwide. The attack chain combines popular and uncommon techniques, including using Google Sheets…

Published: September 2, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 27

GreenCharlie Infrastructure Linked to US Political Campaign Targeting

An analysis by Insikt Group revealed a significant surge in cyber threat activities from GreenCharlie, an Iran-linked group associated with Mint Sandstorm, Charming Kitten, and APT42. The group persistently targets US political and governmental entities through sophisticated phishing operations inv…

Published: August 21, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 111

Strike Ready: Introducing the Bitter APT Group

The report provides an in-depth analysis of the Bitter APT Group, a threat actor primarily focusing on cyber espionage activities in South Asia. It details the group's tactics, techniques, and procedures, including their ability to bypass security technologies by leveraging obscure file formats and…

Published: August 19, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 82

A Dive into Latest Campaign

Earth Baku, an advanced persistent threat actor, has broadened its operations from the Indo-Pacific region to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, targeting countries like Italy, Germany, UAE, and Qatar. The group leverages public-facing applications like IIS servers as entry points, deploying soph…

Published: August 9, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 30

APT Group Kimsuky Targets University Researchers

A report detailing an ongoing cyberattack campaign by the North Korean APT group Kimsuky, which is targeting university staff, researchers, and professors to conduct espionage and gather intelligence for the North Korean government. The group employs phishing tactics, compromised infrastructure, an…

Published: August 9, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 24

Router Roulette: Cybercriminals and Nation-States Sharing Compromised Networks

TrendMicro highlights the dangers of internet-facing routers and elaborates on Pawn Storm's exploitation of EdgeRouters, complementing the FBI's advisory from February 27, 2024. Cybercriminals and nation-state actors share an interest in compromised routers used as an anonymization layer, with cybe…

Published: August 7, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 64

Hackers Leveraging OneDrive Or Google Drive To Hide Malicious Traffic

Cyber threat actors, including nation-state groups, are utilizing legitimate cloud services like Microsoft OneDrive and Google Drive for covert operations. These services evade detection by masquerading as trusted entities, enabling data exfiltration and tool deployment. A new Go-based backdoor, Go…

Published: August 7, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 20

Cloud Cover: How Malicious Actors Are Leveraging Cloud Services

In recent times, there has been a notable rise in the exploitation of legitimate cloud services by threat actors, including nation-state groups. Attackers have realized the potential of these services to provide low-cost infrastructure, evading detection as communication to trusted platforms may no…

Published: August 7, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-21887, CVE-2024-21893

Downloadable IOCs: 20

North Korean Hacking Groups Stealing Construction and Machinery Sector Technologies: A Warning

South Korea's cybersecurity community, consisting of the National Intelligence Service, Prosecution Service, Police Agency, Defense Security Command, and Cyber Command, among others, warns of the risks posed by North Korean hacking groups' cyber attacks targeting the domestic construction and machi…

Published: August 6, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 16

Fighting Ursa Luring Targets With Car for Sale

This analysis examines a campaign attributed to the Russian threat actor Fighting Ursa, also known as APT28, Fancy Bear, and Sofacy. The group utilized a phishing lure disguised as an advertisement for a car sale to distribute the HeadLace backdoor malware, likely targeting diplomats. The lure expl…

Published: August 5, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-3400

Downloadable IOCs: 6

BITS and Bytes: Analyzing BITSLOTH, a newly identified backdoor

Elastic Security Labs uncovered a new Windows backdoor called BITSLOTH that utilizes the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) for command-and-control communication. This malware, discovered during an intrusion into a South American government's Foreign Ministry, possesses capabilities for…

Published: August 2, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 8

Analysis of Golang Payload and Information Theft Campaign

The report details a recent cyber attack campaign attributed to the APT-C-09 (Mozambique) threat group, which has historically targeted Pakistan and surrounding nations. The campaign employed a novel Golang malware payload and Quasar RAT to gather sensitive information. The analysis covers the tech…

Published: July 30, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 8

SideWinder Utilizes New Infrastructure to Target Ports and Maritime Facilities in the Mediterranean Sea

BlackBerry's researchers have uncovered a new campaign by the nation-state threat actor SideWinder. The group employs sophisticated techniques, such as utilizing carefully crafted phishing emails with visual lures designed to target specific organizations. The campaign aims to compromise ports and …

Published: July 30, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2017-11882, CVE-2017-0199

Downloadable IOCs: 47

Umbrella of Pakistani Threats: Converging Tactics of Cyber-operations Targeting India

This report examines the convergence of tactics employed by Pakistani cyber threat groups, including Transparent Tribe, SideCopy, and RusticWeb, targeting Indian government entities and critical infrastructure. It uncovers overlaps in their infrastructure, tactics, and payloads, suggesting coordina…

Published: July 29, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 89

Array of malware used to gather intelligence for North Korea

Microsoft Threat Intelligence analyzes the activities of the North Korean threat actor Onyx Sleet, which conducts cyber espionage operations primarily targeting military, defense, and technology industries. The report covers Onyx Sleet's affiliations with other North Korean threat groups, its targe…

Published: July 29, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2023-42793, CVE-2021-44228, CVE-2023-46604, CVE-2023-22515, CVE-2023-27350

Downloadable IOCs: 24

New BugSleep Backdoor Deployed in Recent MuddyWater Campaigns

An Iranian threat group known as MuddyWater, affiliated with the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, has significantly intensified its operations targeting Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, India, and Portugal in recent months. The group consistently utilizes phishing campaigns originati…

Published: July 15, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 50

We're not talking about cryptocurrency as much as we used to, but there are still plenty of scammers out there

While cryptocurrency and blockchain have lost mainstream attention, cybercriminals continue to exploit these technologies through various scams like memecoins, rug pulls, and unregulated social media platforms. This report also highlights the SneakyChef threat actor's ongoing campaign targeting gov…

Published: June 28, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-5806 (CVSS 7.4)

Downloadable IOCs: 4

espionage group targets government agencies with and more infection techniques

A recently discovered threat actor, dubbed 'SneakyChef,' has been conducting an ongoing espionage campaign targeting government agencies across different regions, primarily utilizing the SugarGh0st malware. The group employs decoy documents impersonating government entities and infects victims thro…

Published: June 24, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 148

Uncovering Espionage Operations

This comprehensive analysis delves into the intricate tactics employed by a suspected China-nexus cyber espionage actor, UNC3886. The report unveils the group's sophisticated exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities and their deployment of rootkits like REPTILE and MEDUSA for persistent system acce…

Published: June 24, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2023-20867, CVE-2022-41328, CVE-2022-22948, CVE-2023-34048, CVE-2022-42475

Downloadable IOCs: 39

North Korean based backdoor packs a punch

This report analyzes a new threat campaign discovered in late May, featuring multiple layers and ultimately delivering a previously undocumented backdoor. The campaign specifically targets Aerospace and Defense companies, sectors of particular interest to North Korean threat groups. The backdoors a…

Published: June 21, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 20

Sustained Campaign Using Chinese Espionage Tools Targets Telcos

Attackers using tools associated with Chinese espionage groups have breached multiple telecom operators in a single Asian country in a long-running espionage campaign. The attackers placed backdoors on the networks of targeted companies and also attempted to steal credentials.

Published: June 20, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 47

DISGOMOJI Malware Used to Target Indian Government

Volexity identified a cyber-espionage campaign by a suspected Pakistan-based threat actor tracked as UTA0137 targeting government entities in India. The campaign leveraged the DISGOMOJI malware, a Golang-based Linux trojan that uses Discord for command and control via emojis. Key capabilities inclu…

Published: June 18, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2024-3400, CVE-2022-0847

Downloadable IOCs: 149

Operation Celestial Force employs mobile and desktop malware to target Indian entities

Cisco Talos is disclosing a new malware campaign called 'Operation Celestial Force' conducted by a Pakistani nexus of threat actors called 'Cosmic Leopard'. This multi-year operation has been targeting Indian entities and individuals since at least 2018, employing the use of GravityRAT (an Android …

Published: June 14, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 142

Arid Viper poisons Android apps with AridSpy

ESET researchers identified five campaigns targeting Android users with trojanized apps that deploy multistage Android spyware called AridSpy. This malware, attributed with medium confidence to the Arid Viper APT group, focuses on user data espionage. AridSpy downloads additional payloads from its …

Published: June 14, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 37

Deep Dive Into Unfading Sea Haze: A New Threat Actor in the South China Sea

An investigation by Bitdefender Labs uncovered a previously unidentified cyber threat actor called Unfading Sea Haze. This group has systematically targeted high-level organizations across countries in the South China Sea region. The extensive analysis spanned several years, revealing their evolvin…

Published: May 24, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 47

Transparent Tribe Targets Indian Government, Defense, and Aerospace Sectors Leveraging Cross-Platform Programming Languages

BlackBerry discovered the Pakistani-based advanced persistent threat group Transparent Tribe (APT36) targeting the Indian government, defense, and aerospace sectors. The group employed cross-platform programming languages, open-source tools, and abused web services for command-and-control and exfil…

Published: May 24, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 97

Sharp Dragon Expands Towards Africa and The Caribbean

Check Point Research has observed a significant shift in the activities and lures of Sharp Dragon, a Chinese threat actor, now targeting governmental organizations in Africa and the Caribbean. This expansion aligns with Sharp Dragon's known tactics of compromising email accounts to spread weaponize…

Published: May 23, 2024

Linked vulnerabilities : CVE-2023-0669

Downloadable IOCs: 38

To the Moon and back(doors): Lunar landing in diplomatic missions

ESET researchers discovered two previously unknown backdoors – LunarWeb and LunarMail – compromising a European ministry of foreign affairs and its diplomatic missions abroad. LunarWeb, deployed on servers, utilizes HTTP(S) for command and control communications, mimicking legitimate requests to av…

Published: May 16, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 12

New Pakistan-based Cyber Espionage Group’s Year-Long Campaign Targeting Indian Defense Forces with Android Malware

CYFIRMA researchers identified an Android malware campaign, active for over a year, targeting Indian defense personnel by an unidentified Pakistan-based cyber espionage group. The threat actor utilized Spynote or a modified version called Craxs Rat, obfuscating the app with high complexity. Through…

Published: May 6, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 3

Graph: Growing number of threats leveraging Microsoft API

An increasing number of cyber threats have adopted the use of the Microsoft Graph API to facilitate covert communications with command-and-control infrastructure hosted on Microsoft cloud services. This technique helps attackers blend in with legitimate traffic to cloud platforms and obtain infrast…

Published: May 3, 2024

Downloadable IOCs: 10

Tag: espionage

Attack reports

Network devices compromised for adversary-in-the-middle attacks

PlushDaemon compromises network devices for adversary-in-the-middle attacks

Frontline Intelligence: Analysis of UNC1549 TTPs, Custom Tools, and Malware Targeting the Aerospace and Defense Ecosystem

China-linked Actors Maintain Focus on Organizations Influencing U.S. Policy

Crossed wires: a case study of Iranian espionage and attribution

Operation Peek-a-Baku: Silent Lynx APT Targets Dushanbe with Espionage Campaign

Operation Peek-a-Baku: APT Targets Dushanbe with Espionage Campaign

DPRK's Playbook: HttpTroy and New BLINDINGCAN Variant

Operation SkyCloak: Tor Campaign targets Military of Russia & Belarus

Warlock Ransomware: Old Actor, New Tricks?

Phantom Taurus: A New Chinese Nexus APT and the Discovery of the NET-STAR Malware Suite

Updated Toneshell backdoor and novel SnakeDisk USB worm dropped

EggStreme Malware: Unpacking a New APT Framework Targeting a Philippine Military Company

Malicious Campaign Targeting Diplomatic Assets

Operation HanKook Phantom: Spear-Phishing Campaign

PRC-Nexus Espionage Campaign Hijacks Web Traffic to Target Diplomats

Pressure on Ukraine and Poland Continues

Operation Cargotalon: Targeting Russian Aerospace Defense Using Eaglet Implant

Phish and Chips: China-Aligned Espionage Actors Ramp Up Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Targeting

Fog Ransomware: Unusual Toolset Used in Recent Attack

Operation Endgame 2.0

Targets Tajikistan: New Macro Word Documents Phishing Tactics

Operation RoundPress targeting high-value webmail servers

Marbled Dust leverages zero-day in Output Messenger for regional espionage

Iranian Cyber Actors Impersonate Model Agency in Suspected Espionage Operation

Earth Kasha Updates TTPs in Latest Campaign Targeting Taiwan and Japan

BRICKSTORM Backdoor Analysis: A Persistent Espionage Threat to European Industries

Ghost in the Router: China-Nexus Espionage Actor UNC3886 Targets Juniper Routers

Lotus Blossom espionage group targets multiple industries with different versions of Sagerunex and hacking tools

Suspected China-Nexus Threat Actor Actively Exploiting Critical Ivanti Connect Secure Vulnerability (CVE-2025-22457)

Weaver Ant, the Web Shell Whisperer: Tracking a China-Nexus Cyber Operation

Operation FishMedley targeting governments, NGOs, and think tanks

Windows Shortcut Exploit Abused as Zero-Day in Widespread APT Campaigns

Russian State Actors: Development in Group Attributions

Squidoor: Suspected Chinese Threat Actor’s Backdoor Targets Global Organizations

Chinese APT Target Royal Thai Police in Malware Campaign

Inside the Scam: North Korea's IT Worker Threat

Supply chain of Korean VPN service compromised

The ticket that doesn't exist: a new threat discovered - FakeTicketer

Unveiling Silent Lynx APT Targeting Entities Across Kyrgyzstan & Neighboring Nations

Threat Bulletin: Weaponized Software Targets Chinese-Speaking Organizations

Hidden in Plain Sight: New Attack Chain Delivers Espionage RATs

U.S. Organization in China Targeted by Attackers

Snowblind: The Invisible Hand of Secret Blizzard

Frequent freeloader part I: Secret Blizzard compromising Storm-0156 infrastructure for espionage

TaxOff: You've Got a Backdoor...

Chinese hackers exploit Fortinet VPN zero-day to steal credentials

Malware Spotlight: A Deep-Dive Analysis of WezRat

Hamas-affiliated Threat Actor WIRTE Continues its Middle East Operations and Moves to Disruptive Activity

Cloudy With a Chance of RATs: Unveiling APT36 and the Evolution of ElizaRAT

Rat King: How the Android Trojan CraxsRAT Steals User Data

Hybrid Russian Espionage and Influence Campaign Aims to Compromise Ukrainian Military Recruits and Deliver Anti-Mobilization Narratives

SideWinder APT's post-exploitation framework analysis

Analyzing Recent Cyber Attacks in the United States Coinciding with Columbus Day Celebration

Kimsuky: A Gift That Keeps on Giving

Threat Assessment: North Korean Threat Groups

The Malware That Must Not Be Named: Suspected Espionage Campaign Delivers 'Voldemort'

GreenCharlie Infrastructure Linked to US Political Campaign Targeting

Strike Ready: Introducing the Bitter APT Group

A Dive into Latest Campaign

APT Group Kimsuky Targets University Researchers

Router Roulette: Cybercriminals and Nation-States Sharing Compromised Networks

Hackers Leveraging OneDrive Or Google Drive To Hide Malicious Traffic

Cloud Cover: How Malicious Actors Are Leveraging Cloud Services

North Korean Hacking Groups Stealing Construction and Machinery Sector Technologies: A Warning

Fighting Ursa Luring Targets With Car for Sale

BITS and Bytes: Analyzing BITSLOTH, a newly identified backdoor

Analysis of Golang Payload and Information Theft Campaign

SideWinder Utilizes New Infrastructure to Target Ports and Maritime Facilities in the Mediterranean Sea

Umbrella of Pakistani Threats: Converging Tactics of Cyber-operations Targeting India

Array of malware used to gather intelligence for North Korea

New BugSleep Backdoor Deployed in Recent MuddyWater Campaigns

We're not talking about cryptocurrency as much as we used to, but there are still plenty of scammers out there

espionage group targets government agencies with and more infection techniques

Uncovering Espionage Operations

North Korean based backdoor packs a punch

Sustained Campaign Using Chinese Espionage Tools Targets Telcos

DISGOMOJI Malware Used to Target Indian Government