Cyber-espionage
U.S. offers $10 million for hackers targeting WhatsApp, Signal users
The U.S. Department of State is offering up to $10 million for information that helps identify or locate members of the UNC5792 and UNC4221 hacker groups, which are linked to Russia’s intelligence and military services. The bounty is part of the ‘Rewards for Justice’ (RFJ) program, which targets foreign state actors carrying out cyberattacks against […]
Windows version of SprySOCKS Linux malware used to attack govt orgs
Windows variants for the SprySOCKS Linux malware have been used in attacks targeting government organizations in at least four countries. SprySOCKS has been linked to the Chinese threat group ‘Earth Lusca,’ which deployed it in attacks against government entities focused on foreign affairs, technology, and telecommunications. Now, ESET researchers discovered Windows variants of the same malware family […]
Chinese hackers breach REDCap servers, steal medical research
A China-linked espionage campaign targeted exposed REDCap servers to deploy the InfiniteRed malware and steal sensitive data from a medical institution in North America. Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) researchers attribute the attacks to a threat actor tracked as UNC6508, who remained undetected for more than a year in the victim network. The REDCap platform is […]
Chinese APT deploys new malware to keep access to hacked networks
A Chinese espionage group tracked as UNC5221 has been accessing Microsoft 365 environments using the Brickstorm backdoor and previously undocumented malware named Plenet and AgentPSD. An investigation into the incident revealed that the threat actor had gained access to the victim network at least 18 months before detection, and had also compromised the victim organization’s […]
Chinese hackers target telcos with new Linux, Windows malware
A Chinese cyber-espionage campaign has been targeting telecommunications providers with newly discovered Linux and Windows malware dubbed Showboat and JFMBackdoor, respectively. The operation has been active since at least mid-2022 and targeted organizations across the Asia Pacific and parts of the Middle East. It was attributed to the Calypso threat group, also tracked as Red […]
Iranian hackers targeted major South Korean electronics maker
The Iran-linked hacking group MuddyWater (a.k.a. Seedworm, Static Kitten) launched a broad cyber-espionage campaign targeting at least nine high-profile organizations across multiple sectors and countries. Among the victims are a major South Korean electronics manufacturer, government agencies, an international airport in the Middle East, industrial manufacturers in Asia, and educational institutions. Researchers at Symantec say […]
New GopherWhisper APT group abuses Outlook, Slack, Discord for comms
A previously undocumented state-backed threat actor named GopherWhisper is using a Go-based custom toolkit and legitimate services like Microsoft 365 Outlook, Slack, and Discord in attacks against government entities. Active since at least 2023, the hackers have been linked to China and are estimated to have compromised dozens of victims. In a campaign identified by […]
CISA orders feds to patch DarkSword iOS flaws exploited attacks
CISA ordered U.S. government agencies to patch three iOS vulnerabilities targeted in cryptocurrency theft and cyberespionage attacks using the DarkSword exploit kit. As Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) and iVerify researchers revealed last week, the DarkSword delivery framework abuses a chain of six vulnerabilities tracked as CVE-2025-31277, CVE-2025-43529, CVE-2026-20700, CVE-2025-14174, CVE-2025-43510, and CVE-2025-43520. These flaws enable […]
Chinese cyberspies breached dozens of telecom firms, govt agencies
Google’s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), Mandiant, and partners disrupted a global espionage campaign attributed to a suspected Chinese threat actor that used SaaS API calls to hide malicious traffic in attacks targeting telecom and government networks. The campaign has been active since at least 2023 and has impacted 53 organizations in 42 countries, with suspected infections […]
State actor targets 155 countries in ‘Shadow Campaigns’ espionage op
A state-sponsored threat group has compromised dozens of networks of government and critical infrastructure entities in 37 countries in global-scale operations dubbed ‘Shadow Campaigns’. Between November and December last year, the actor also engaged in reconnaissance activity targeting government entities connected to 155 countries. According to Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 division, the group has […]