APT

Pierluigi Paganini February 05, 2026
China-linked Amaranth-Dragon hackers target Southeast Asian governments in 2025

China-linked hackers tracked as Amaranth-Dragon targeted government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia in 2025. CheckPoint says China-linked threat actors, tracked as Amaranth-Dragon, carried out cyber-espionage campaigns in 2025 targeting government and law enforcement agencies across Southeast Asia. The activity is linked to the APT41 ecosystem and affected countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and […]

Pierluigi Paganini January 29, 2026
Nation-state and criminal actors leverage WinRAR flaw in attacks

Multiple threat actors exploited a now-patched critical WinRAR flaw to gain initial access and deliver various malicious payloads. Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) revealed that multiple threat actors, including APTs and financially motivated groups, are exploiting the CVE-2025-8088 flaw in RARLAB WinRAR to establish initial access and deploy a diverse array of payloads. The WinRAR […]

Pierluigi Paganini January 26, 2026
North Korea–linked KONNI uses AI to build stealthy malware tooling

Check Point links an active phishing campaign to North Korea–aligned KONNI, targeting developers with fake blockchain project docs and using an AI-written PowerShell backdoor. Check Point Research uncovered an active phishing campaign attributed to the North Korea–linked KONNI group (aka Kimsuky, Earth Imp, TA406, Thallium, Vedalia, and Velvet Chollima). The operation targets software developers and engineers using fake project […]

Pierluigi Paganini January 10, 2026
North Korea–linked APT Kimsuky behind quishing attacks, FBI warns

FBI warns that North Korea–linked APT group Kimsuky is targeting governments, think tanks, and academic institutions with quishing attacks. North Korea–linked APT group Kimsuky is targeting government agencies, academic institutions, and think tanks using spear-phishing emails that contain malicious QR codes (quishing), the FBI warns. “As of 2025, Kimsuky actors have targeted think tanks, academic […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 30, 2025
Mustang Panda deploys ToneShell via signed kernel-mode rootkit driver

China-linked APT Mustang Panda used a signed kernel-mode rootkit driver to load shellcode and deploy its ToneShell backdoor. China-linked APT Mustang Panda (aka Hive0154, HoneyMyte, Camaro Dragon, RedDelta or Bronze President) was observed using a signed kernel-mode rootkit driver with embedded shellcode to deploy its ToneShell backdoor. Mustang Panda has been active since at least 2012, targeting American and European entities such as […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 02, 2025
MuddyWater strikes Israel with advanced MuddyViper malware

Iran-linked threat actor MuddyWater targeted multiple Israeli sectors with a new MuddyViper backdoor in recent attacks. ESET researchers uncovered a new MuddyWater campaign targeting Israeli organizations and one confirmed Egyptian target. The Iran-linked APT group MuddyWater (aka SeedWorm, TEMP.Zagros, Mango Sandstorm, TA450, and Static Kitten) deployed custom tools to evade defenses and maintain persistence. They used a Fooder loader, […]

Pierluigi Paganini November 26, 2025
For the first time, a RomCom payload has been observed being distributed via SocGholish

RomCom malware used the SocGholish fake update loader to deliver Mythic Agent to a U.S. civil engineering firm. In September 2025, Arctic Wolf Labs observed RomCom threat actors delivering the Mythic Agent via SocGholish to a U.S. company. The researchers noticed that the payload executed about 10 minutes after initial exploitation, marking the first time […]

Pierluigi Paganini November 17, 2025
North Korean threat actors use JSON sites to deliver malware via trojanized code

North Korean Contagious Interview actors now host malware on JSON storage sites to deliver trojanized code projects, NVISO reports. North Korea-linked actors behind the Contagious Interview campaign have updated their tactics, using JSON storage services (e.g. JSON Keeper, JSONsilo, and npoint.io) to host and deliver malware through trojanized code projects, according to a new NVISO report. “NVISO […]

Pierluigi Paganini November 16, 2025
Anthropic: China-backed hackers launch first large-scale autonomous AI cyberattack

China-linked actors used Anthropic’s AI to automate and run cyberattacks in a sophisticated 2025 espionage campaign using advanced agentic tools. China-linked threat actors used Anthropic’s AI to automate and execute cyberattacks in a highly sophisticated espionage campaign in September 2025. The cyber spies leveraged advanced “agentic” capabilities rather than using AI only for guidance. Attackers […]

Pierluigi Paganini November 12, 2025
Australia’s spy chief warns of China-linked threats to critical infrastructure

Australia’s spy chief warns China-linked actors are probing critical infrastructure and preparing for cyber sabotage and espionage. Australia’s intelligence chief Mike Burgess warned that China-linked threat actors are probing critical infrastructure and, in some cases, have gained access. He said at least two Chinese state-sponsored groups are positioning themselves for future sabotage and espionage operations […]