ZeroHour
DashboardNewsCVEsExploitsIncidentsAIBriefAnalyticsEntitiesWatchlistIOCsAsk the feedSourcesFeeds & APIKiosk mode

Search: “threat actors”

23 stories in the last 3d

Searchkeywordsmart Sortlatesthotimportancerelevance
DomainAllCyberAIWindow24h3d7d30dAllIn the wildImportant onlyShow duplicates
CategoryAllExploit / PoC 35Threat actor 35Malware 23Data breach 13Phishing & fraud 8AI safety & security 8Research 8Industry 7Advisory 5Policy & legal 4AI policy 2Vulnerability 2Ransomware 1Tools 1
SeverityAllcritical 26high 65medium 34low 3info 24

Threat actors are coming for your AI assets to operationalize their use of AI

Google GTIG reports espionage and crime groups stealing AI models, prompts, and API credentials, plus distillation campaigns and agentic AI attack automation.

Google Threat Intelligence Group's quarterly AI Threat Tracker reports adversaries stealing proprietary models, source code, prompts, and API credentials from government, healthcare, and media targets, including China-based UNC6508 compromising clouds to run unauthorized LLM workloads. Distillation campaigns against Google's models exceeded 100 million prompts launched via thousands of stolen account credentials through proxy networks. Mandiant also observed a financially motivated actor deploy an autonomous multi-agent framework that harvested thousands of third-party credentials in under 6 hours, and a 'Recon' framework on a live C2 server managing over 23,000 stolen credentials including cloud and AI API keys.

CSO Online · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild

Tajin Group: Guarantee Marketplace Vendor Involved in Phishing and Chinese Money Laundering Group

Recorded Future details Tajin Group, a Chinese-speaking vendor on Telegram guarantee marketplaces running phishing, carding, and money laundering operations targeting Chinese banks.

Insikt Group analyzed Tajin Group, a Chinese-speaking threat actor operating on Telegram-based guarantee marketplaces Dabai Guarantee and, since May 2026, Xinbi Guarantee. The group conducts phishing, payment card theft, and money laundering targeting mainland Chinese citizens and banks, testing stolen cards from twelve countries on platforms like CCAvenue and Geidea. Operators bought and sold at least 100 Telegram usernames and anonymous virtual numbers via Fragment Market to strengthen OPSEC, linking multiple usernames to single Telegram accounts. Recorded Future warns Tajin Group's TTPs are likely to be replicated by other vendors on Chinese-language guarantee marketplaces at global scale.

Recorded Future · 2d agoThreat actor

One Exploit Chain, Two Espionage Campaigns: Chrome and Windows Under Fire

Two China-linked APT groups reused identical Chrome/Windows zero-day chain against NGOs, deploying GRIMWIDGE backdoor and LONGTALE credential-stealing extension.

Volexity reports that China-linked actors UTA0560 and JungleBamboo (APT31/TA412) ran byte-identical Chrome/Windows exploit chains against NGOs starting September 1, 2026, combining Chrome type confusion CVE-2026-85046, WebAssembly sandbox escape CVE-2026-87491, and Windows kernel flaw CVE-2026-85880. The Chrome bug was fixed in Chromium source but not yet shipped to Chrome users, making it an effective zero-day with an unusual patch gap. UTA0560 delivered the in-memory GRIMWEDGE JScript backdoor, while JungleBamboo deployed the SUPERSTOMP loader installing LONGTALE, a malicious Chrome extension disguised as Google Gemini that steals cookies, session tokens, and keystrokes. Volexity assesses with low confidence the exploit chain was sold or shared among different Chinese end-users.

Security Affairs · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild 8 sourcesCVE-2026-85046CVE-2026-87491CVE-2026-858804

Low-quality casino sites conceal highly dangerous threat actors

Infoblox reveals China-aligned APT groups hiding PeckBirdy malware C2 domains inside roughly 1.7 million Chinese-language illegal casino websites.

An Infoblox report says it tracks about 1.7 million Chinese-language casino sites enabling illegal gambling, some of which double as command-and-control infrastructure. China-aligned APT groups have hidden PeckBirdy framework C2 domains inside these low-quality casino sites since 2023, injecting scripts that display fake software update pages to deliver malware. Over 3 percent of Infoblox enterprise customers resolved at least one PeckBirdy C2 domain, and some sites rely on US cloud providers via 'infrastructure laundering.' Infoblox urges defenders not to dismiss casino-domain alerts as mere employee browsing violations.

The Register · Security · 1d agoThreat actor in the wild1

Hackers Deploy Agentic AI to Automate Exploitation and Mass Credential Harvesting

Google GTIG documents a financially motivated actor using a multi-agent AI framework to automate credential harvesting, compromising over 23,800 secrets within hours.

Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) documented a financially motivated actor that compromised an unnamed organization's cloud infrastructure and used a multi-agent AI framework to automate vulnerability scanning, credential harvesting, troubleshooting, and IP rotation. The operation went from planning to mass credential compromise in under six hours, harvesting more than 23,800 secrets including cloud and AI-service API keys via an exposed C2 dashboard called 'Recon'. The actor directed specialized agents using an AI coding chatbot and Markdown instruction files such as AGENTS.KNOWLEDGE.md and agentic_vuln_research.md. Google has not observed fully autonomous zero-day exploitation; the shift automates labor-intensive tasks like reconnaissance, account validation, and infrastructure management, sharply shrinking detection windows.

GBHackers · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild1

Thai Broadband Provider Hacked via Fortinet Vulnerability

Hackers exploited Fortinet CVE-2024-21762 RCE to breach Thai broadband provider 3BB, deploying MeshCentral backdoors and credential-harvesting tools across its network.

Hunt.io uncovered an intrusion staging directory in Thailand containing 298 files of custom tooling built for Triple T Broadband (3BB) and its former owner Jasmine. Initial access came via fingerprinting a FortiGate SSL-VPN appliance and exploiting CVE-2024-21762 for remote code execution, after probing CVE-2018-13379, CVE-2022-42475, and CVE-2023-27997. The actor also probed F5 BIG-IP for CVE-2021-22986, CVE-2022-1388, and CVE-2023-46747, escalated privileges with PwnKit and Dirty COW, used MeshCentral as a C2 backdoor, harvested SSH/database/SNMP/Radius credentials, deployed PHP web shells, and ran cleanup scripts to hide the intrusion.

SecurityWeek · 2d agoThreat actor in the wildCVE-2018-13379CVE-2022-42475CVE-2023-27997+4 CVEs

Three Threat Groups Target Russian Enterprises With Backdoors, Ransomware, and Wipers

Kaspersky details NightEagle, Hacking Cat, and Toy Ghouls targeting Russian enterprises with Exchange backdoors, Gorilla RAT, and destructive Monkey ransomware.

Kaspersky reports three threat clusters targeting Russian enterprises: NightEagle (APT-Q-95), the pro-Ukrainian hacktivist group Hacking Cat, and Toy Ghouls. NightEagle uses compromised VPN credentials and the GhostContainer modular backdoor to fully compromise Microsoft Exchange servers, chaining CVE-2020-0688 exploitation, BlueKeep (CVE-2019-0708), Active Directory vulnerabilities, and DCSync to seize domain controllers. Hacking Cat exploits Exchange flaws including CVE-2021-26855 and CVE-2026-42897 to deliver the Gorilla RAT and multiple Monkey ransomware variants written in Rust, .NET, C++, and Golang targeting Windows, Linux, and VMware ESXi, with some variants acting as wipers that never store the encryption key.

The Hacker Newsupdated · 6h agofirst · 22h agoThreat actor in the wild 5 sourcesCVE-2020-0688CVE-2019-0708CVE-2021-26855+1 CVEs2

Iranian hackers use CHOSEN BRICK Windows malware to spy on targets

Iranian state-linked hackers use CHOSEN BRICK Windows malware, spread via Telegram and WhatsApp social engineering, to spy on dissidents and journalists worldwide.

US, UK, and Dutch cyber agencies with the FBI issued a joint advisory on Iranian state-linked hackers deploying a Windows malware strain called CHOSEN BRICK against dissidents, activists, and journalists, primarily in the US, UK, and Netherlands. Attacks begin with messages on WhatsApp or Telegram impersonating trusted contacts or technical support, tricking victims into running malicious files disguised as apps such as Pictory, RunwayML, Norton Antivirus, Telegram, and KeePass. The malware persists via Registry Run keys, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, and uses a per-victim Telegram bot for command-and-control while stealing email, Telegram and WhatsApp data, screenshots, and audio. Stolen data is exfiltrated via Telegram or cloud services like VultrObjects and StorjShare, and sometimes appears on pro-Iranian leak sites, increasing physical risk for dissidents abroad.

BleepingComputerupdated · 16m agofirst · 17h agoThreat actor in the wild 9 sources

APT36 Targets Indian Government and Defense Organizations With New Rust Malware Arsenal

Pakistan-linked APT36 deployed a Rust malware suite, including RUSTYSHADE and USB-spreading RUSTYMOVE, against Indian and Afghan government and defense targets.

Zscaler ThreatLabz tracks the August 2026 activity as Operation RapidRust, introducing the Rust-based RUSTYSHADE backdoor, the RUSTYMOVE removable-media propagation utility, and PSNATCH and BASHNATCH file stealers for Windows and Linux. RUSTYSHADE uses private GitHub repositories as C2 with AES-256-GCM-encrypted traffic, supporting shell commands, screenshots, webcam capture, and encrypted exfiltration, while PSNATCH collects Office documents, archives, images, and databases from user folders and drives D: through H:. Typosquat domains spoofing ThePrint and India Today staged payloads with Backblaze storage, and persistence used scheduled tasks impersonating OneDrive and Microsoft Edge updates.

GBHackersupdated · 3h agofirst · 4h agoThreat actor in the wild 3 sources

Red Heron Hackers Exploit Critical Gitea RCE to Steal Source Code and Deploy Linux Rootkit

PRC-linked Red Heron exploits critical Gitea RCE CVE-2026-60004 to steal source code and deploy JITTERLY implant with SIXZUT LD_PRELOAD rootkit; victims span five countries.

Acronis Threat Research Unit attributes a campaign to Chinese-speaking threat actor Red Heron, which weaponized CVE-2026-60004, a CVSS 9.8 RCE in Gitea versions 1.17 through 1.27.0, patched in 1.27.1 on July 27, 2026. The actor built an automated exploitation framework after a public PoC appeared, scanned 1,386 internet-exposed Gitea instances across seven countries, and separately listed 477 Taiwan-based systems across defense, energy, elections, and AI sectors. Confirmed victims include organizations in Canada, Argentina, Taiwan, the US, and Sri Lanka, with a Canadian renewable-energy firm hit in 22 sessions and a Taiwanese industrial automation firm losing hundreds of repositories including SCADA/HMI tools. Red Heron deploys the JITTERLY Linux implant (30+ commands, AES-128-GCM, Adaptix-like protocol) and the SIXZUT LD_PRELOAD rootkit disguised as libglthread.so.2, and moved laterally into a Synology/Proxmox environment to steal VM backups.

GBHackers · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild 3 sourcesCVE-2026-6000410

Hackers Are Hiding Espionage Infrastructure Inside Ordinary-Looking Casino Websites

Infoblox links China-aligned APT PeckBirdy C2 infrastructure hidden in casino and adult websites targeting Asian government, finance, IT, and education sectors.

Infoblox researchers report that China-aligned APT groups have used casino and adult websites as cover for PeckBirdy, a JavaScript command-and-control framework active since 2023. The sites embed C2 servers, register service workers for persistence, and serve fake browser-update prompts delivering backdoors capable of running commands, stealing credentials, and providing remote access. Targeted sectors across Asia include education, IT, banking, financial services, and government. Just over 3% of Infoblox enterprise customers resolved at least one PeckBirdy C2 domain, with detection coverage on VirusTotal ranging from 13 detections to none.

Cyber Security News · 1d agoThreat actor 2 sources

Hackers Abuse VSSAdmin to Extract NTDS.dit and Delete Windows Recovery Copies

Huntress details intruders using PsExec and VSSAdmin on domain controllers to steal NTDS.dit credentials and delete shadow copies before ransomware.

Huntress analysts identified attackers launching SYSTEM-level command shells via PsExec on a domain controller, then running 'vssadmin create shadow' to snapshot and copy the NTDS.dit Active Directory database. Shadow copies were later deleted to destroy local recovery options ahead of a likely ransomware stage. Huntress recommends correlating VSS creation/deletion events with remote execution, DNS enumeration, and lateral movement rather than alerting on any single VSS event.

Cyber Security News · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild

FamousSparrow Deploys New SparroWocky Backdoor Against Latin American Governments

China-aligned APT FamousSparrow deployed a new modular backdoor, SparroWocky, against government entities across eight Latin American countries since August 2025, ESET reports.

ESET reports that China-aligned threat actor FamousSparrow replaced its SparrowDoor implant with SparroWocky, a distinct modular C++ backdoor active against governments in Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. Around 90% of the group's targets from mid-2025 into 2026 were in Latin America, which ESET links to regional competition over US influence. The backdoor arrives via a three-component DLL side-loading chain, persists through a Windows service (ProcAuditManager) or Run keys (SnapCart), captures screenshots, and exfiltrates RC4-encrypted data over TLS C2 on ports 443 and 8080. It supports in-memory Beacon Object File execution, API hashing, and SilentMoonwalk-style call-stack spoofing; IOCs for three C2 servers were released.

GBHackersupdated · 2h agofirst · 2h agoThreat actor in the wild 4 sourcesCVE-2021-26855

16-31 August 2026 Cyber Attacks Timeline

Hackmageddon logs 110 confirmed cyber incidents in 16-31 August 2026, with malware the top vector (35) and public-facing app exploitation (T1190) leading initial access.

Hackmageddon's timeline recorded 110 confirmed incidents in the second half of August 2026. Cyber crime accounted for roughly four-fifths of attacks (86 of 110), and malware was the leading vector at 35 incidents (31.8%). Exploitation of public-facing applications (T1190) was the top initial access vector with 33 incidents, while state-linked espionage motivated 16 incidents. Information and Communication was the hardest-hit sector with 29 of 132 sector mentions.

Hackmageddon · 4h agoThreat actor in the wild 2 sources1

Pro-Ukraine Hacking Cat group deploying new malware against Russian targets

Kaspersky links pro-Ukraine hacktivist group Hacking Cat to Gorilla RAT and Monkey Ransomware in destructive attacks on Russian targets.

Kaspersky reports that pro-Ukraine group Hacking Cat, active since February 2024, has shifted from defacements to destructive encryption attacks, using a previously undocumented Gorilla RAT remote-access tool and Monkey Ransomware, which appends the .monkey extension to files. Initial access in some attacks came from exploited Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities, and rapid multi-language malware variants suggest possible generative AI assistance. Shared tools like Nemo Wiper across groups including Ukrainian Cyber Alliance complicate attribution, and targets include Rosatom contractor and heating provider Donbassteploenergo.

The Record · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild

UK and allies expose spyware used by Iranian state actors to target dissidents, activists and journalists

Joint advisory details Iranian spear-phishing campaign deploying CHOSEN BRICK spyware to surveil dissidents, activists, and journalists across UK, US, Netherlands.

The NCSC (part of GCHQ), FBI, and AIVD jointly warned that Iranian state actors impersonate trusted contacts on WhatsApp and Telegram to deploy the CHOSEN BRICK spyware against dissidents, activists, and journalists worldwide. The Windows-only malware is persistent across reboots and collects contacts, emails, social media messages, screen captures, and microphone audio. Stolen personal details of some victims have been published on pro-Iranian leak sites. The FBI published complementary technical analysis, and the NCSC offers free cyber defence services for high-risk individuals.

NCSC UK · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild1

Iranian cyber targeting of dissidents, activists and journalists

UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD expose CHOSEN BRICK spyware used by Iranian state actors against dissidents, activists, and journalists worldwide.

A joint advisory from the UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD details CHOSEN BRICK, a Windows spyware family used by Iranian state cyber actors since at least 2025 against dissidents, activists, and journalists in the UK, US, and Netherlands. Actors build rapport on WhatsApp and Telegram impersonating known contacts or platform support, then deliver disguised payloads resembling apps such as Telegram, Norton, RunwayML, or fake MRI results. The malware persists via HKCU Run registry keys, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, and uses a unique Telegram bot C2 per victim. Capabilities include screen capture, microphone recording, process enumeration, email and messaging data theft, file deletion, and system wiping; victim data has appeared on pro-Iranian leak sites.

NCSC UK · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild2

Iranian cyber spies used fake MRI scan results to hack ‘enemy of regime’

UK, US, and Dutch agencies expose CHOSEN BRICK spyware used by Iranian MOIS hackers to surveil dissidents, journalists, and activists via fake MRI lures.

The UK NCSC, FBI, and Dutch AIVD jointly warned that Iranian state-sponsored hackers deploy CHOSEN BRICK Windows spyware against dissidents, activists, and journalists since at least 2025. Operators build rapport over WhatsApp and Telegram, often posing as known contacts or tech support, then deliver malicious files disguised as an MRI scan or installers for Pictory, RunwayML, Norton, Telegram, Adobe Flash Player, and KeePass. The malware steals contacts, emails, and social media messages, captures screen content and microphone audio, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, and uses per-victim Telegram bots for command and control. The FBI attributes the tradecraft to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security, including the 'Handala Hack' persona, and stolen data has surfaced on pro-Iranian leak sites.

The Record · 1d agoThreat actor in the wild1

Iranian spies hit Windows machines with Chosen Brick data-stealing malware

FBI, UK NCSC, and Dutch AIVD warn Iranian intelligence uses Chosen Brick spyware against dissidents, stealing contacts, emails, and messaging data.

A joint advisory from the FBI, UK NCSC, and Dutch AIVD says Iranian state cyber actors have used the Chosen Brick Windows malware since at least 2025 to surveil dissidents, activists, and journalists. Attacks begin with heavily researched WhatsApp and Telegram messages impersonating trusted contacts, tricking victims into opening fake installers resembling Pictory, RunwayML, Norton Antivirus, Telegram, Adobe Flash Player, and KeePass. The malware persists via the HKCU Run registry key, adds Microsoft Defender exclusions, uses victim-specific Telegram bots for C2, captures screen and audio, steals emails and Telegram/WhatsApp data, and can wipe systems.

The Register · Security · 1d agoThreat actor in the wild1

Israeli contractor BlackCore trained Angolan officials in online influence operations

Citizen Lab links Israeli firm BlackCore to training Angolan officials to run covert influence campaigns with fake personas and pro-government content.

Citizen Lab documents show Israeli influence-for-hire firm BlackCore ran a 14-week training and operations program for Angolan officials, producing more than 40 pro-government content pieces through a fictitious outlet called Agita News. Posts received roughly 20,000 likes, with some later approaching 50,000, in a country with an estimated six million active Facebook users. France's Viginum previously linked BlackCore to interference targeting France Unbowed and suspected operations in New York, Scotland and Togo, and Meta disrupted a related Israel-origin network in August.

The Record · 1h agoThreat actor

BlackHatSect0r Uses DeepSeek-Powered AI Agent to Automate Attacks and Harvest 16,834 Credentials

SOCRadar linked the BlackHatSect0r crew to a DeepSeek-powered AI agent that automated scanning and harvested 16,834 credentials from exposed systems.

SOCRadar researchers found an exposed operation server with 4.9 GB across 9,299 files, including the DXSCAN scanning platform, phishing tools, extortion material and a vault holding 16,834 credentials such as AWS keys, GitHub tokens and Stripe keys. The French-speaking crew ran a Nous Research Hermes agent against a DeepSeek model with safety features removed, queuing 2,759,860 domains and reaching 726,989 hosts. Access came from misconfigurations like public cloud buckets and exposed .env files, not new vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security News · 4h agoThreat actor in the wild 4 sources1

Hackers Use Autonomous AI Agents to Harvest Thousands of Credentials in Under 6 Hours

Google Cloud documents a financially motivated actor using autonomous AI agents on a compromised cloud tenant to harvest 23,800+ credentials in under six hours.

Google Cloud reports that an attacker compromised a victim's cloud environment and deployed a multi-agent framework driven by preconfigured Markdown playbooks to autonomously handle vulnerability scanning, credential collection, error troubleshooting, and IP rotation. An exposed command-and-control server hosted the 'Recon' framework with a live dashboard managing over 23,800 harvested secrets, including cloud and AI-service API keys. The report also ties DUSTMAKER to UNC6780/TeamPCP, targeting AI development tools and CI/CD systems via trojanized MCP packages such as tiktoken_mcp. Google has disabled linked assets and updated protections after the actors' operational security failures.

Cyber Security News · 2d agoThreat actor in the wild

SilkParasite Hackers Use SpiceRAT Infrastructure to Target Central Asian Governments and Energy Firmsnew

Hunt.io links SpiceRAT C2 infrastructure to the China-nexus SilkParasite espionage cluster targeting Central Asian governments, telecoms, and energy firms.

Hunt.io analysis expanded the SpiceRAT command-and-control footprint tied to SilkParasite, a China-nexus espionage cluster (medium confidence per Bitdefender) targeting government, telecommunications, and energy entities across Central Asia. Five active servers coordinated from mid-March 2026 were clustered via reused hostnames, TLS certificates, and a byte-identical clone of RTX Corporation's webpage found on 13 IPs; a certificate for azure.uzrailwaystax[.]com appeared across eight servers. Domains impersonated Türkmengaz, Tojiktelecom, Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry, and Uzbek and Kyrgyz bodies, with passive DNS history dating to mid-2022. Impersonated organizations were not confirmed as compromised; Cisco Talos previously linked SpiceRAT to SneakyChef's LNK/HTA infection chains.

GBHackers · 50m agoThreat actor in the wild 2 sources