ESET Analysis
The I-SOON information leak confirms that this contractor is concerned in cyberespionage for China, whereas Iran-aligned teams step up aggressive ways following the Hamas-led assault on Israel in 2023
14 Jun 2024
•
,
2 min. learn
On this episode of the ESET Analysis Podcast, we dissect probably the most attention-grabbing findings of the Q4 2023–Q1 2024 ESET APT Activity Report, uncovering the exercise of a number of superior persistent menace (APT) teams world wide.
As a result of I-SOON information leak, we’ve been capable of establish FishMonger, a bunch infamous for the cyberattacks in opposition to Hong Kong universities again in 2019, as I-SOON. This leak additionally sheds mild on Operation ChattyGoblin, a sequence of assaults in opposition to Southeast Asian playing firms taking place since 2021. I-SOON developed a platform for monitoring playing exercise, thought of unlawful in China, which might enable China’s Ministry of Public Security to take motion in opposition to Chinese language residents tracked through the platform.
One other China-aligned group, Mustang Panda, has been increasing its focusing on past APAC to the US and Europe previously two years. A notable instance is a sequence of assaults on cargo transport firms in Norway, Greece, and the Netherlands. Curiously, the malware was detected on the ships’ techniques and in some circumstances was launched from USB units.
Iran-aligned teams have stepped up their exercise in opposition to targets in Israel. This consists of both entry brokering to promote the entry available on the market or utilizing it immediately for affect assaults with ransomware or wipers. Nevertheless, the rise in amount has been accompanied by a lower in high quality and efficacy of the operations and tooling; this primarily applies to MuddyWater. Total, there was a transparent shift in focus to loud assaults for the reason that Hamas-led assault on Israel in 2023.
For all these subjects and extra from the ESET APT Exercise Report, hearken to the most recent episode of the ESET Analysis podcast, hosted by Aryeh Goretsky. This time, he directed his inquiries to ESET Principal Malware Researcher Robert Lipovský.
For the complete report, together with different subjects comparable to a psyop marketing campaign in opposition to Ukraine, a watering-hole assault on a regional information web site about Gilgit-Baltistan, and spearphishing campaigns carried out by North Korea-aligned teams in opposition to entities in South Korea, click here.
Observe ESET research on X for normal updates on key developments and prime threats.