China-Linked Hackers Compromise ISP to Deploy Malicious Software Updates

The China-linked threat actor known as Evasive Panda compromised an unnamed internet service provider ISP to push malicious software updates to target companies in mid-2023, highlighting a new level of sophistication associated with the group. Evasive Panda, also known by the names Bronze Highlan...

Cyber Espionage Group XDSpy Targets Companies in Russia and Moldova

Companies in Russia and Moldova have been the target of a phishing campaign orchestrated by a little-known cyber espionage group known as XDSpy. The findings come from cybersecurity firm F.A.C.C.T., which said the infection chains lead to the deployment of a malware called DSDownloader. The...

Mandrake spyware sneaks onto Google Play again, flying under the radar for two years

Introduction In May 2020, Bitdefender released a white paper containing a detailed analysis of Mandrake, a sophisticated Android cyber-espionage platform, which had been active in the wild for at least four years. In April 2024, we discovered a suspicious sample that appeared to be a new version ...

North Korean Hackers Shift from Cyber Espionage to Ransomware Attacks

A North Korea-linked threat actor known for its cyber espionage operations has gradually expanded into financially-motivated attacks that involve the deployment of ransomware, setting it apart from other nation-state hacking groups linked to the country. Google-owned Mandiant is tracking the...

FBI, CISA, and Partners Release Advisory Highlighting North Korean Cyber Espionage Activity

Today, CISA—in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI—released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory,North Korea State-Sponsored Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs. The advisory was coauthored with the following organization...

North Korea Cyber Group Conducts Global Espionage Campaign to Advance Regime’s Military and Nuclear Programs

Summary The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI and the following authoring partners are releasing this Cybersecurity Advisory to highlight cyber espionage activity associated with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea DPRK’s Reconnaissance General Bureau RGB 3rd Bureau based in Pyongyan...

Patchwork Hackers Target Bhutan with Advanced Brute Ratel C4 Tool

The threat actor known as Patchwork has been linked to a cyber attack targeting entities with ties to Bhutan to deliver the Brute Ratel C4 framework and an updated version of a backdoor called PGoShell. The development marks the first time the adversary has been observed using the red teaming...

Chinese Hackers Target Taiwan and US NGO with MgBot Malware

Organizations in Taiwan and a U.S. non-governmental organization NGO based in China have been targeted by a Beijing-affiliated state-sponsored hacking group called Daggerfly using an upgraded set of malware tools. The campaign is a sign that the group "also engages in internal espionage,"...

APT41 Infiltrates Networks in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and the U.K.

Several organizations operating within global shipping and logistics, media and entertainment, technology, and automotive sectors in Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and the U.K. have become the target of a "sustained campaign" by the prolific China-based APT41 hacking group. "APT41...

TAG-100: New Threat Actor Uses Open-Source Tools for Widespread Attacks

Unknown threat actors have been observed leveraging open-source tools as part of a suspected cyber espionage campaign targeting global government and private sector organizations. Recorded Future's Insikt Group is tracking the activity under the temporary moniker TAG-100, noting that the adversar...

China-linked APT17 Targets Italian Companies with 9002 RAT Malware

A China-linked threat actor called APT17 has been observed targeting Italian companies and government entities using a variant of a known malware referred to as 9002 RAT. The two targeted attacks took place on June 24 and July 2, 2024, Italian cybersecurity company TG Soft said in an analysis...

Kaspersky Exits U.S. Market Following Commerce Department Ban

Russian security vendor Kaspersky has said it's exiting the U.S. market nearly a month after the Commerce Department announced a ban on the sale of its software in the country citing a national security risk. News of the closure was first reported by journalist Kim Zetter. The company is expected...

Australian Defence Force Private and Husband Charged with Espionage for Russia

Two Russian-born Australian citizens have been arrested and charged in the country for spying on behalf of Russia as part of a "complex" law enforcement operation codenamed BURGAZADA. This includes a 40-year-old woman, an Australian Defence Force ADF Army Private, and her husband, a 62-year-old...

Chinese APT41 Upgrades Malware Arsenal with DodgeBox and MoonWalk

The China-linked advanced persistent threat APT group codenamed APT41 is suspected to be using an "advanced and upgraded version" of a known malware called StealthVector to deliver a previously undocumented backdoor dubbed MoonWalk. The new variant of StealthVector – which is also referred to as...

Cybersecurity Agencies Warn of China-linked APT40's Rapid Exploit Adaptation

Cybersecurity agencies from Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the U.K., and the U.S. have released a joint advisory about a China-linked cyber espionage group called APT40, warning about its ability to co-opt exploits for newly disclosed security flaws within hours or...

New APT Group "CloudSorcerer" Targets Russian Government Entities

A previously undocumented advanced persistent threat APT group dubbed CloudSorcerer has been observed targeting Russian government entities by leveraging cloud services for command-and-control C2 and data exfiltration. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, which discovered the activity in May 2024, said...

South Korean ERP Vendor's Server Hacked to Spread Xctdoor Malware

An unnamed South Korean enterprise resource planning ERP vendor's product update server has been found to be compromised to deliver a Go-based backdoor dubbed Xctdoor. The AhnLab Security Intelligence Center ASEC, which identified the attack in May 2024, did not attribute it to a known threat act...

Chinese Hackers Exploiting Cisco Switches Zero-Day to Deliver Malware

A China-nexus cyber espionage group named Velvet Ant has been observed exploiting a zero-day flaw in Cisco NX-OS Software used in its switches to deliver malware. The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-20399 CVSS score: 6.0, concerns a case of command injection that allows an authenticated, local...

Google Is Piloting Face Recognition for Office Security

Plus: A cloud company says notorious Russian hacker group APT29 attacked it, Chinese hackers use ransomware to hide their espionage campaigns, and a bank popular with startups discloses a cyberattack...

Kimsuky Using TRANSLATEXT Chrome Extension to Steal Sensitive Data

The North Korea-linked threat actor known as Kimsuky has been linked to the use of a new malicious Google Chrome extension that's designed to steal sensitive information as part of an ongoing intelligence collection effort. Zscaler ThreatLabz, which observed the activity in early March 2024, has...