Latest coverage for Middle East

Researchers Trace Linux and Windows Toolsets to Suspected PRC Espionage ActivityNewly discovered malware tied to China-linked actors breached telecom providers across Asia and the Middle East, highlighting growing efforts to gain persistent access into interconnected communications infrastructure.

Federal Charges Target Recruiters, Managers in Scam Centers After Global TakedownU.S. and international law enforcement agencies dismantled a network of overseas scam centers linked to cryptocurrency investment fraud schemes, officials said Wednesday, arresting at least 276 individuals in a crackdown across the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

A Shipping Crisis in the Middle East Is Now a Chip Crisis Everywhere ElseThe Strait of Hormuz crisis is amplifying a supply crunch in the specialist memory chips that power AI, and analysts say the industry's concentration in South Korea makes the timing particularly uncomfortable.

It's Time for CIOs to Rethink Business Continuity Plans and Cloud ResourcesThe targeting of commercial cloud data centers in the Middle East marks a turning point for CIOs and enterprise leaders. Geopolitics and military conflicts are definite threats to vital technology infrastructure. The question is: How well-prepared and resilient is your enterprise?

Iranian Cyberespionage Group MuddyWater Goes DarkPhysical effects rather than cyber strikes are triggering Middle Eastern connectivity problems during day four of a sustained U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign against Iran. Iran is responding with drone and missile attacks targeting U.S. military as well as British bases in Bahrain, Cyprus.

Nation-State Hackers Sheltering From Bombs or Cut Off From InternetIranian cyber proxies are girding for revenge while nation-state hackers in Tehran have gone quiet, whether to shelter from an onslaught of missile attacks or because the Middle Eastern country remains disconnected from the global internet on the third day of a U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign.

Hacking Group Deploys Raft of Custom Malware VariantsAn Iranian state hacking group with a history of targeting aerospace, aviation and defense industries across the Middle East has improved its tooling with multiple custom malware variants, warned Google. The group, tracked as UNC1549, is suspected of ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Spyware Targets Samsung Galaxy Devices, Says Unit 42Hackers used previously unknown commercial spyware dubbed "Landfall" to surveil the activities of Samsung Galaxy device owners in the Middle East, say security researchers who posit the threat actor has connections to the United Arab Emirates.

Threat Actor Shifts From Targeting Exchange to DatabasesA Chinese cyberespionage threat actor with a history of hacking Microsoft Exchange to spy on geopolitical events including summits in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, has shifted its attention to targeting databases, say researchers.

New Ransomware Possibly Linked to Earth BaxiaA previously uncatalogued ransomware strain is targeting public sector and aviation organizations in the Middle East. The threat actor uses techniques similar to a previously documented hacking group tracked as Earth Baxia and likely based in China.

Over 400 Organizations Breached Via Ongoing ToolShell Attacks, Researchers WarnThe U.S. government agency that maintains and designs America's nuclear weapons was reportedly breached by attackers exploiting zero-day flaws in on-premises Microsoft SharePoint servers, with researchers now counting over 400 victims, including European and Middle Eastern governments.

Check Point: 'Stealth Falcon' Exploited WebDAV FlawMicrosoft on Tuesday patched a zero-day vulnerability in WebDAV that was exploited by UAE-linked threat actors as part of an espionage campaign in the Middle East and Africa. Check Point attributed the campaign to the Emirates APT group Stealth Falcon.

Fortinet Uncovers Long-Term Cyberespionage in RegionAn Iranian state-sponsored threat group conducted a years-long cyberespionage campaign targeting a Middle East critical infrastructure provider, with its operational technology network a key target. The attackers focused reconnaissance activity and credential theft on the OT network.

Campaign Uses Updated Version of the Malware Plugin, Kaspersky SaysHackers are deploying an updated strain of EagerBee malware to target internet service providers and government organizations in the Middle East, warn security researchers. EagerBee operates in memory and comes with advanced stealth and security evasion capabilities.

'Rare Tools' Employed in 'Operation Diplomatic Specter,' Threat Researchers FindSecurity researchers warn that an active Chinese global cyberespionage campaign continues to target at least nine different governments across Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and specializes in gaining and maintaining persistence to email servers to amass intelligence, sometimes daily.

Also: Turla Targets European Missions and Google Patches Chrome Zero-DaysThis week, hackers used a Linus backdoor and a Microsoft client management tool; Santander Bank, the Helsinki Education Division, an Australian energy provider and auction house Christie's were breached; hackers targeted European missions in the Middle East; and Google patched a zero-day flaw.

Hackers Are Leveraging Israel-Hamas War to Carry Out Attacks, Researcher Tells ISMGCybersecurity researchers identified a suspected Iranian espionage campaign targeting aerospace, aviation and defense industries across the Middle East. Hackers targeted employees within the aviation and defense sectors with fake job offers for tech and defense-related positions.

Tehran-Aligned Group Mint Sandstorm Uses Israel-Hamas Conflict as a LureHackers aligned with the Iranian state are masquerading as journalists to target Middle East experts and deploy a new custom backdoor that supports the Iranian government's spying agenda. Tehran may be harvesting perspectives on the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to Microsoft.