This threat describes a new OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) campaign targeting security researchers. The campaign involves adversaries creating fake social media profiles, pages, and groups to build credible social network personas. These personas are then used to conduct social engineering attacks aimed at deceiving security researchers. The goal of such campaigns is typically to gather sensitive information, manipulate targets, or gain trust to facilitate further malicious activities. The campaign leverages misinformation techniques and impersonation, which are common in influence operations and targeted reconnaissance. Although no specific vulnerabilities or exploits are mentioned, the threat relies on psychological manipulation and deception rather than technical exploits. The campaign is ongoing ('lifetime=perpetual') and has been assessed with a medium severity level. No known exploits in the wild have been reported, and no specific affected software versions or products are identified. The campaign aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques T1341 (Build Social Network Persona) and T1249 (Conduct Social Engineering), indicating a focus on human-targeted reconnaissance and manipulation rather than direct system compromise.

For European organizations, especially those involved in cybersecurity research and defense, this campaign poses a significant risk to confidentiality and operational security. Security researchers targeted by these fake personas may inadvertently disclose sensitive information, share insights on vulnerabilities, or provide access to restricted environments. This can lead to indirect compromise of organizational assets or intellectual property. The impact is primarily on the integrity and confidentiality of information rather than availability. Additionally, successful social engineering can erode trust within security communities and hamper collaboration efforts. The campaign's subtlety and reliance on human factors make detection challenging, increasing the risk of prolonged exposure and data leakage. European organizations with active research teams, incident response units, or threat intelligence analysts are particularly vulnerable to such deception tactics.

Mitigation should focus on enhancing operational security and awareness among security researchers and related personnel. Specific recommendations include: 1) Implement rigorous verification processes for new social media contacts, including cross-referencing profiles and validating identities through multiple channels. 2) Provide targeted training on recognizing social engineering tactics and misinformation campaigns tailored to security professionals. 3) Encourage the use of pseudonymous or compartmentalized social media accounts for professional interactions to limit exposure. 4) Establish internal policies for sharing sensitive information, emphasizing caution when interacting with unknown or unverified individuals online. 5) Utilize threat intelligence platforms to monitor for emerging fake personas or misinformation patterns relevant to the organization. 6) Foster a culture of skepticism and peer verification within security teams to reduce the likelihood of successful deception. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on the unique challenges posed by OSINT-based social engineering campaigns targeting security researchers.