Threat Actors Database

Scarred Manticore has been pursuing high-value targets for years, utilizing a variety of IIS-based backdoors to attack Windows servers. These include a variety of custom web shells, custom DLL backdoors, and driver-based implants.

Mentioned as operator of TriumphLoader and Matanbuchus

[Microsoft] Volt Typhoon, a state-sponsored actor based in China that typically focuses on espionage and information gathering. Microsoft assesses with moderate confidence that this Volt Typhoon campaign is pursuing development of capabilities that could disrupt critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during future crises. [Secureworks] BRONZE SILHOUETTE likely operates on behalf the PRC. The targeting of U.S. government and defense organizations for intelligence gain aligns with PRC requirements, and the tradecraft observed in these engagements overlap with other state-sponsored Chinese threat groups.

Metador primarily targets telecommunications, internet service providers, and universities in several countries in the Middle East and Africa. Metador’s attack chains are designed to bypass native security solutions while deploying malware platforms directly into memory. SentinelLabs researchers discovered variants of two long-standing Windows malware platforms, and indications of an additional Linux implant.

Redfly hacked a national electricity grid organization in Asia and maintained persistent access to the network for about six months. Researchers discovered evidence for this attack between 28 February and 3 August 2023 after noticing suspicious malware activity within the organization’s network.

GoldenJackal activity is characterized by the use of compromised WordPress websites as a method to host C2-related logic. Kaspersky believes the attackers upload a malicious PHP file that is used as a relay to forward web requests to another backbone C2 server. They developed a collection of .NET malware tools known as Jackal.

Red Nue, active since at least 2017, is known for its use of the multi-platform LootRAt backdoor, also known as ReverseWindow. LootRAT has variants for Windows and Macintosh (reported in open source as Demsty), as well as an Android variant known as SpyDealer. Red Nue has also used another Windows backdoor known as WinDealer since at least 2019, when it deployed it to targets as part of a watering hole campaign on a Chinese news website for the Chinese diaspora community. Parts of Asia feature heavily in Red Nue's victimology.

• APT43 is a prolific cyber operator that supports the interests of the North Korean regime. The group combines moderately-sophisticated technical capabilities with aggressive social engineering tactics, especially against South Korean and U.S.-based government organizations, academics, and think tanks focused on Korean peninsula geopolitical issues. • In addition to its espionage campaigns, we believe APT43 funds itself through cybercrime operations to support its primary mission of collecting strategic intelligence. • The group creates numerous spoofed and fraudulent personas for use in social engineering, as well as cover identities for purchasing operational tooling and infrastructure. • APT43 has collaborated with other North Korean espionage operators on multiple operations, underscoring the major role APT43 plays in the regime’s cyber apparatus.

TetrisPhantom relies on compromising of certain type of secure USB drives that provide hardware encryption and is commonly used by government organizations. While investigating this threat, experts identified an entire spying campaign that uses a range of malicious modules to execute commands, collect files and information from compromised computers and transfer them to other machines also using secure USB drives.

USDoD is a threat actor known for leaking large databases of personal information, including from companies like Airbus and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They have a history of engaging in high-profile data breaches, such as exposing data from the FBI's InfraGard program. USDoD has also been involved in web scraping to obtain information from websites like LinkedIn.

UAC-0006 is a financially motivated threat actor that has been active since at least 2013. They primarily target Ukrainian organizations, particularly accountants, with phishing emails containing the SmokeLoader malware. Their goal is to steal credentials and execute unauthorized fund transfers, posing a significant risk to financial systems.

In March 2022, a hacking group calling themselves N4ughtySecTU claimed to have breached TransUnion’s systems and threatened to leak four terabytes of data if the credit bureau didn’t pay a $15-million (R242-million) ransom.

TA577 is a prolific cybercrime threat actor tracked by Proofpoint since mid-2020. This actor conducts broad targeting across various industries and geographies, and Proofpoint has observed TA577 deliver payloads including Qbot, IcedID, SystemBC, SmokeLoader, Ursnif, and Cobalt Strike.

Throughout 2017 and 2018, Fxmsp established a network of trusted proxy resellers to promote their breaches on the criminal underground. Some of the known Fxmsp TTPs included accessing network environments via externally available remote desktop protocol (RDP) servers and exposed active directory. Most recently, the actor claimed to have developed a credential-stealing botnet capable of infecting high-profile targets in order to exfiltrate sensitive usernames and passwords. Fxmsp has claimed that developing this botnet and improving its capabilities for stealing information from secured systems is their main goal.

Hezb is a group deploying cryptominers when new exploit are available for public facing vulnerabilities. The name is after the miner process they deploy.

Threat actors behind the Operation Dust Storm have been active since at least 2010, the hackers targeted several organizations in Japan, South Korea, the US, Europe, and other Asian countries.

FireEye described APT17 in a 2015 report as: 'APT17, also known as DeputyDog, is a China based threat group that FireEye Intelligence has observed conducting network intrusions against U.S. government entities, the defense industry, law firms, information technology companies, mining companies, and non-government organizations.'

Kaspersky researchers have identified a new APT group named BadRory that has mounted two waves of spear-phishing attacks against Russian organizations. The campaigns took place in October 2022 and April 2023 and leveraged boobytrapped Office emails. Targets included government entities, military contractors, universities, and hospitals.

KromSec is a hacktivist group that claims to be composed of hackers, activists, writers, and journalists. The group has been involved in a number of high-profile cyberattacks, including a cyber offensive against Iran in September 2022 and the sale of the database of the Iran Ministry of Industries and Mines on a hacker forum in November 2023. KromSec's attacks have been met with mixed reactions, but the group has quickly made a name for itself as a significant threat to governments and organizations around the world.

Evil Corp is an internaltional cybercrime network. In December of 2019 the US Federal Government offered a $5M bounty for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Maksim V. Yakubets for allegedly orchestrating Evil Corp operations. Responsible for stealing over $100M from businesses and consumers. The Evil Corp organization is known for utilizing custom strains of malware such as JabberZeus, Bugat and Dridex to steal banking credentials.