Mint Sandstorm’s Campaign Targets Researchers with Novel Backdoor

Summary: Mint Sandstorm, a threat actor, focuses on high-profile individuals involved in Middle Eastern affairs at universities and research organizations. The group utilizes phishing lures in a campaign to socially engineer targets, enticing them to download malicious files that deploy new...

New TTPs observed in Mint Sandstorm campaign targeting high-profile individuals at universities and research orgs

Since November 2023, Microsoft has observed a distinct subset of Mint Sandstorm PHOSPHORUS targeting high-profile individuals working on Middle Eastern affairs at universities and research organizations in Belgium, France, Gaza, Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In this campaign,...

Patchwork Hackers Target Chinese Research Organizations Using EyeShell Backdoor

Threat actors associated with the hacking crew known as Patchwork have been spotted targeting universities and research organizations in China as part of a recently observed campaign. The activity, according to KnownSec 404 Team, entailed the use of a backdoor codenamed EyeShell. Patchwork, also...

APT Groups Target Healthcare and Essential Services

Summary This is a joint alert from the United States Department of Homeland Security DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre NCSC. CISA and NCSC continue to see indications that advanced persistent threat APT groups are...

CISA-FBI Joint Announcement on PRC Targeting of COVID-19 Research Organizations

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI have jointly released a Public Service Announcement on the People’s Republic of China’s targeting of COVID-19 research organizations. CISA and FBI encourage COVID-19 research organizations to...