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A new hacking group called Punishing Owl has emerged, targeting Russian critical infrastructure. Their first attack on December 12, 2025, compromised a Russian state security agency, leaking internal documents. The group used DNS manipulation, created fake subdomains, and sent phishing emails to the victim's partners. They employed a PowerShell stealer called ZipWhisper to exfiltrate browser data. Punishing Owl's attacks are politically motivated and focus exclusively on Russian targets, including government agencies, scientific institutions, and IT organizations. The group has established a presence on cybercriminal forums and social media, likely operating from Kazakhstan. Experts predict this group will continue to be a persistent threat in the Russian cyberspace.

Punishing Owl is a newly identified hacktivist group that surfaced with an attack on December 12, 2025, targeting Russian critical infrastructure. Their first known operation compromised a Russian state security agency, resulting in the leak of internal documents. The group employs a multi-faceted attack chain beginning with DNS manipulation techniques, including the creation of fake subdomains to deceive victims and their partners. They conduct phishing campaigns targeting partners of their primary victims to gain initial access. Once inside, they deploy a PowerShell-based stealer malware called ZipWhisper, designed to exfiltrate sensitive browser data such as credentials, cookies, and session tokens. The attack techniques align with MITRE ATT&CK tactics including T1132.001 (Data from Information Repositories), T1204.002 (User Execution: Malicious File), T1566.002 and T1566.001 (Phishing), T1071 (Application Layer Protocol), T1005 (Data from Local System), T1555 (Credentials from Password Stores), T1589 (Gather Victim Identity Information), T1074 (Data Staged), T1584 (Compromise Infrastructure), T1102 (Web Service), and T1059.001 (PowerShell). The group appears politically motivated, focusing exclusively on Russian targets, and is likely operating from Kazakhstan based on their online footprint. They have established presence on cybercriminal forums and social media, indicating intent to remain persistent in the Russian cyber domain. There are no known public exploits or CVEs linked to their tools or techniques, and the threat is currently rated medium severity. Indicators of compromise include multiple file hashes related to their malware and tools. While the direct target is Russia, the use of phishing and DNS manipulation could pose indirect risks to European organizations connected to Russian entities or supply chains.

Detailed information about Punishing Owl Attacks Russia: A New Owl in the Hacktivists' Forest. Get real-time updates, technical details, and mitigation strategi

Punishing Owl Attacks Russia: A New Owl in the Hacktivists' Forest - Live Threat Intelligence - Threat Radar | OffSeq.com

Punishing Owl Attacks Russia: A New Owl in the Hacktivists' Forest

The APT group Cloud Atlas has launched a new wave of cyberattacks targeting Russia's defense industry. They are using stolen document templates from previously infected organizations to create malicious Microsoft Office files. The group cleans metadata from these documents to avoid revealing compromised entities. They move between targeted companies using compromised email accounts (BEC attacks). The attacks focus on defense industry enterprises, with malicious documents disguised as invitations, anti-corruption checks, mobilization documents, employee records, and financial statements. Cloud Atlas uses Google Sheets API for data exfiltration and employs the PowerShower backdoor. The group's infrastructure has migrated to new servers and domains, indicating ongoing campaign development.

The APT group known as Cloud Atlas has launched a renewed wave of cyberattacks specifically targeting Russia's defense industry. The attackers utilize stolen document templates from previously compromised organizations to craft malicious Microsoft Office files, which are then weaponized to deliver malware. To evade detection and attribution, the group meticulously cleans metadata from these documents, preventing defenders from tracing the source or victim organizations. The initial infection vector involves business email compromise (BEC) attacks, where attackers leverage compromised email accounts to move laterally between targeted companies. The malicious documents are disguised as legitimate and contextually relevant files such as invitations, anti-corruption checks, mobilization documents, employee records, and financial statements, increasing the likelihood of user interaction and successful exploitation. Once executed, the malware deploys the PowerShower backdoor, a known tool associated with Cloud Atlas, enabling persistent access and control over infected systems. For data exfiltration, the group uses the Google Sheets API, a novel method that blends exfiltration traffic with legitimate cloud service usage, complicating detection efforts. The campaign infrastructure has recently migrated to new servers and domains, indicating an ongoing and evolving operation. The attack techniques align with multiple MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques, including spear-phishing (T1566), use of legitimate cloud services for command and control and exfiltration (T1102), and credential access via BEC (T1586). Although the campaign currently targets Russian defense enterprises, the sophistication and tactics employed could be adapted against other high-value targets. No known public exploits exist for this threat, and no specific affected software versions are identified, underscoring the threat's reliance on social engineering and operational security rather than software vulnerabilities.

Detailed information about New wave of cyberattacks by APT group Cloud Atlas on Russia's government sector. Get real-time updates, technical details, and mitiga

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