Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

A China-nexus cyber espionage group has been observed deploying a BSD variant of a known backdoor called BRICKSTORM, as well as two other malware families codenamed PLENET (aka GRIMBOLT) and AGENTPSD to target Linux systems

The North Korea-aligned state-sponsored hacking group known as ScarCruft has compromised a video game platform in a supply chain espionage attack, trojanizing its components with a backdoor called BirdCallto likely target ethnic Koreans residing in China

Advanced persistent threat (APT) groups have deployed new cyber weapons against a variety of targets, highlighting the increasing threats to the region.

Ink Dragon Compromised IIS Networks to Relay ShadowPad MalwareA Chinese hacking group is using compromised European government networks as relay nodes to route commands and support other hacking operations. Security firm Check Point attributed the campaign to a Chinese espionage group it tracks as "Ink Dragon."

3-Year Espionage Campaign Targeted Taiwanese FirmsChinese nation-state group APT24 targeted multiple Taiwanese companies as part of an espionage operation that went undetected for three years. The hacking group continually updated its malware infrastructure and tactics, enabling it to stay under the radar, Google Cloud said.

This week showed just how fast things can go wrong when no one’s watching. Some attacks were silent and sneaky. Others used tools we trust every day — like AI, VPNs, or app stores — to cause damage without setting off alarms

Sophisticated Cyberespionage Campaign Targets Asian Telecom, Manufacturing SectorsA remote access Trojan that's a staple of Chinese nation-state hacking is part of an ongoing campaign targeting telecom and manufacturing sectors in Central and South Asian countries. The threat actor, tracked as Naikon, apparently has access to a new variant of PlugX malware.

A new campaign has been observed leveraging fake websites advertising popular software such as WPS Office, Sogou, and DeepSeek to deliver Sainbox RAT and the open-source Hidden rootkit

OpenAI has revealed that it banned a set of ChatGPT accounts that were likely operated by Russian-speaking threat actors and two Chinese nation-state hacking groups to assist with malware development, social media automation, and research about U.S. satellite communications technologies, among other things

The Chinese APT41 hacking group uses a new malware named 'ToughProgress' that abuses Google Calendar for command-and-control (C2) operations, hiding malicious activity behind a trusted cloud service. [...]

Malware Hides in Memory, Evades Detection by Endpoint ToolsA Chinese state-backed hacking group tracked as UNC5174 relaunched its operations after a year of silence with a campaign using a memory-only remote access Trojan that evades traditional detection mechanisms, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Sysdig.

The Chinese threat actor known as FamousSparrow has been linked to a cyber attack targeting a trade group in the United States and a research institute in Mexico to deliver its flagship backdoor SparrowDoor and ShadowPad

MirrorFace Expands Operations, Revives Anel Backdoor for EspionageA threat actor associated with Chinese cyberespionage campaigns against Japan stepped outside its East Asian comfort zone to target a European organization with a refreshed set of hacking tools. A hacking group tracked as MirrorFace and Earth Kasha deployed a backdoor once exclusively used by APT10.

Juniper Networks Urges Immediate Updating and Malware Scans to Block AttackersHackers have been infecting outdated Juniper MX routers with backdoor malware as part of an apparent cyberespionage campaign that traces to a Chinese-affiliated hacking team tracked as UNC 3886, warned Google's Mandiant incident response group.

Forescout observed the recently identified Chinese hacking group using medical imaging software applications to deliver malware

The Chinese state-sponsored Salt Typhoon hacking group uses a custom utility called JumbledPath to stealthily monitor network traffic and potentially capture sensitive data in cyberattacks on U.S. telecommunication providers. [...]

Mustang Panda Uses MAVInject to Evade Antivirus DetectionA Chinese state-sponsored hacking group is abusing a legitimate Microsoft tool to evade security and install backdoors on government systems in the Asia-Pacific region. The threat actor uses MAVInject.exe to inject malware into waitfor.exe.

A Chinese hacking group is hijacking the SSH daemon on network appliances by injecting malware into the process for persistent access and covert operations. [...]

South Korean VPN provider IPany was breached in a supply chain attack by the "PlushDaemon" China-aligned hacking group, who compromised the company's VPN installer to deploy the custom 'SlowStepper' malware. [...]

Hackers Targeted a PAN-OS Flaw Days After Its DisclosureA suspected Chinese hacking campaign that began in November is exploiting a vulnerability in Palo Alto firewalls to install a custom malware backdoor for espionage. UNC5325 activity aligns with the Chinese hacking strategy of targeting edge devices.