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MuddyWater Targets MENA Governments With Phoenix Backdoor

Nov 3, 2025 2:09:14 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, MuddyWater, Phishing Campaign, credential stealers, cyber espionage, Middle East targeting, VBA macros, FakeUpdate injector, Iran APT, Phoenix Backdoor, RMM tools

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Verticals Targeted: Government
Regions Targeted: Middle East, North Africa
Related Families: Phoenix, FakeUpdate

Executive Summary

A sophisticated phishing operation has been attributed to the Iran-linked APT MuddyWater, deploying an updated Phoenix backdoor to conduct espionage against government and international entities. The campaign leverages compromised mailboxes and macro-enabled Word documents to deliver custom injectors and persistence mechanisms, highlighting the group's reliance on trusted channels for initial access.

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COLDRIVER Updates Its Arsenal

Oct 31, 2025 2:15:39 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Star Blizzard, AES-256-CBC encryption, COLDRIVER malware, Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, YESROBOT, ClickFix lure, malware infection chain, MAYBEROBOT, high-value target attacks, NOROBOT, cybersecurity defense

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Verticals Targeted: NGOs, Policy Advisors, Dissidents
Regions Targeted: Not Specified
Related Families: LOSTKEYS, COLDCOPY, YESROBOT, MAYBEROBOT

Executive Summary

Industry researchers have identified new malware families, including NOROBOT, YESROBOT, and MAYBEROBOT, deployed by the Russian state-sponsored group COLDRIVER, targeting high-value individuals in NGOs, policy advisors, and dissidents. This rapid retooling, observed after the May 2025 disclosure of LOSTKEYS, showcases COLDRIVER’s evolving tactics to evade detection while maintaining aggressive intelligence collection.

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Salt Typhoon Targets European Telecom

Oct 28, 2025 12:48:06 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Telecommunications, Salt Typhoon, DLL sideloading, zero-day exploits, SNAPPYBEE, Citrix NetScaler, cyber espionage

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Verticals Targeted: Telecommunications
Regions Targeted: Europe
Related Families:  SNAPPYBEE (Deed RAT)

Executive Summary

Salt Typhoon, a China-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) group, has been targeting global critical infrastructure using sophisticated tactics like DLL sideloading and zero-day exploits. Recent activity targeted a European telecommunications entity.

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Famous Chollima Evolves Its Arsenal, Merging BeaverTail and OtterCookie

Oct 24, 2025 1:15:09 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Famous Chollima, North Korean cyber threats, DPRK hackers, BeaverTail malware, OtterCookie backdoor, cryptocurrency stealers, InvisibleFerret payload

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Verticals Targeted: Not specified
Regions Targeted: Sri Lanka
Related Families: BeaverTail, OtterCookie, InvisibleFerret

Executive Summary

Famous Chollima, a DPRK-aligned threat group, has evolved its arsenal, with BeaverTail and OtterCookie increasingly merging functionalities to steal credentials and cryptocurrency via deceptive job offers. A recent campaign involved a trojanized Node.js application distributed through a malicious NPM package, highlighting the group's adaptation in delivery methods.

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AdaptixC2

Oct 20, 2025 4:00:36 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Emerging Threat, PowerShell malware, AdaptixC2, post-exploitation framework, C2 framework, AI-generated malware

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Verticals Targeted: Financial
Regions Targeted: Asia
Related Families: Fog Ransomware

Executive Summary

AdaptixC2, an open-source command-and-control framework, has emerged as a potent tool for threat actors, enabling file manipulation, data exfiltration, and covert network communication in attacks. Its modular design and AI-assisted deployment methods underscore the need for robust defenses to counter its evolving tactics.

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ClayRAT

Oct 17, 2025 4:14:26 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Malware, mobile threat evolution, ClayRAT, Android Spyware, spyware distribution, Android Security, Telegram phishing, SMS handler abuse, Phishing Campaigns, Malware Propagation

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Verticals Targeted: None specified
Regions Targeted: Russia
Related Families: None

Executive Summary

ClayRAT, a sophisticated Android spyware campaign targeting Russian users, leverages Telegram channels and phishing sites to distribute malicious APKs disguised as popular apps. Its rapid evolution, extensive surveillance capabilities, and self-propagation via SMS make it a significant threat to mobile security.

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Akira Reloaded

Oct 7, 2025 1:04:01 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Data Exfiltration, credential theft, SonicWall VPN, Ransomware Campaign, Akira Ransomware, CVE-2024-40766, SSL VPN

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Verticals Targeted: Real Estate, Insurance, Energy, Manufacturing, Legal Services, Healthcare, Construction, Retail, Agriculture, Finance, Business Services, Transportation, Software, Hospitality, Government, Telecommunications
Regions Targeted: US, Europe, South America, Australia, Canada, India, Africa

Executive Summary

A surge in Akira ransomware attacks since July 2025 exploits SonicWall VPNs via CVE-2024-40766, enabling rapid credential-based intrusions with dwell times as short as 55 minutes. Threat actors leverage stolen credentials, bypass MFA, and deploy tools such as Impacket and WinRAR for lateral movement and data exfiltration, targeting organizations across various sectors.

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BRICKSTORM Targets U.S. Tech and Legal Sectors with Stealthy Espionage

Oct 3, 2025 3:29:53 PM / by The Hivemind posted in Threat Bulletin, Evolving Threat, credential theft, SonicWall VPN, Ransomware Campaign, Akira Ransomware, CVE-2024-40766, SSL VPN, multi-factor authentication

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Verticals Targeted: Legal Services, Software, Business Services, Technology
Regions Targeted: US
Related Families: BRICKSTEAL, SLAYSTYLE 

Executive Summary

The BRICKSTORM backdoor, attributed to the suspected China-nexus threat cluster UNC5221, has been actively targeting U.S. organizations in the legal, SaaS, BPO, and technology sectors since March 2025, enabling prolonged espionage with an average dwell time of 393 days. This sophisticated malware leverages zero-day exploits and stealthy techniques to maintain persistent access, evade detection, and steal sensitive data, posing significant risks to critical infrastructure.

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