Written by: Omar ElAhdan, Matthew McWhirt, Michael Rudden, Aswad Robinson, Bhavesh Dhake, Laith Al Background Protecting software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms and applications requires a comprehensive security strategy. Drawing from analysis of…
Category: Threat Intelligence
Another BRICKSTORM: Stealthy Backdoor Enabling Espionage into Tech and Legal Sectors
Written by: Sarah Yoder, John Wolfram, Ashley Pearson, Doug Bienstock, Josh Madeley, Josh Murchie, Brad Slaybaugh, Matt Lin, Geoff Carstairs, Austin Larsen Introduction Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is tracking BRICKSTORM malware activity, which is being used to maintain persistent…
Introducing no-cost, multicloud Data Transfer Essentials for EU and U.K. customers
At Google Cloud, our services are built with interoperability and openness in mind to enable customer choice and multicloud strategies. We pioneered a multicloud data warehouse, enabling workloads to run across clouds. We were the first company to provide digital…
ViewState Deserialization Zero-Day Vulnerability in Sitecore Products (CVE-2025-53690)
Written by: Rommel Joven, Josh Fleischer, Joseph Sciuto, Andi Slok, Choon Kiat Ng In a recent investigation, Mandiant Threat Defense discovered an active ViewState deserialization attack affecting Sitecore deployments leveraging sample machine keys that had been exposed in Sitecore deployment…
Widespread Data Theft Targets Salesforce Instances via Salesloft Drift
Written by: Austin Larsen, Matt Lin, Tyler McLellan, Omar ElAhdan Introduction Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is issuing an advisory to alert organizations about a widespread data theft campaign, carried out by the actor tracked as UNC6395. Beginning as early…
Deception in Depth: PRC-Nexus Espionage Campaign Hijacks Web Traffic to Target Diplomats
Written by: Patrick Whitsell In March 2025, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) identified a complex, multifaceted campaign attributed to the PRC-nexus threat actor UNC6384. The campaign targeted diplomats in Southeast Asia and other entities globally. GTIG assesses this was likely…
A Cereal Offender: Analyzing the CORNFLAKE.V3 Backdoor
Written by: Marco Galli Welcome to the Frontline Bulletin Series Straight from Mandiant Threat Defense, the “Frontline Bulletin” series brings you the latest on the most intriguing compromises we are seeing in the wild right now, equipping our community to…
From Help Desk to Hypervisor: Defending Your VMware vSphere Estate from UNC3944
Introduction In mid 2025, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GITG) identified a sophisticated and aggressive cyber campaign targeting multiple industries, including retail, airline, and insurance. This was the work of UNC3944, a financially motivated threat group that has exhibited overlaps with…
Beyond Convenience: Exposing the Risks of VMware vSphere Active Directory Integration
Written by: Stuart Carrera, Brian Meyer Executive Summary Broadcom’s VMware vSphere product remains a popular choice for private cloud virtualization, underpinning critical infrastructure. Far from fading, organizations continue to rely heavily on vSphere for stability and control. We’re also seeing…
Isolated Recovery Environments: A Critical Layer in Modern Cyber Resilience
Written by: Jaysn Rye Executive Summary As adversaries grow faster, stealthier, and more destructive, traditional recovery strategies are increasingly insufficient. Mandiant’s M-Trends 2025 report reinforces this shift, highlighting that ransomware operators now routinely target not just production systems but also…
Protecting the Core: Securing Protection Relays in Modern Substations
Written by: Seemant Bisht, Chris Sistrunk, Shishir Gupta, Anthony Candarini, Glen Chason, Camille Felx Leduc Introduction — Why Securing Protection Relays Matters More Than Ever Substations are critical nexus points in the power grid, transforming high-voltage electricity to ensure its…
What’s in an ASP? Creative Phishing Attack on Prominent Academics and Critics of Russia
Written by: Gabby Roncone, Wesley Shields In cooperation with external partners, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) observed a Russia state-sponsored cyber threat actor impersonating the U.S. Department of State. From at least April through early June 2025, this actor targeted…
The Cost of a Call: From Voice Phishing to Data Extortion
< div class=”block-paragraph_advanced”> Introduction Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is tracking UNC6040, a financially motivated threat cluster that specializes in voice phishing (vishing) campaigns specifically designed to compromise organization’s Salesforce instances for large-scale data theft and subsequent extortion. Over the…
Hello, Operator? A Technical Analysis of Vishing Threats
Written by: Nick Guttilla Introduction Organizations are increasingly relying on diverse digital communication channels for essential business operations. The way employees interact with colleagues, access corporate resources, and especially, receive information technology (IT) support is often conducted through calls, chat…
Mark Your Calendar: APT41 Innovative Tactics
Written by: Patrick Whitsell < div class=”block-paragraph_advanced”>Google Threat Intelligence Group’s (GTIG) mission is to protect Google’s billions of users and Google’s multitude of products and services. In late October 2024, GTIG discovered an exploited government website hosting malware being used…
Text-to-Malware: How Cybercriminals Weaponize Fake AI-Themed Websites
Written by: Diana Ion, Rommel Joven, Yash Gupta < div class=”block-paragraph_advanced”>Since November 2024, Mandiant Threat Defense has been investigating an UNC6032 campaign that weaponizes the interest around AI tools, in particular those tools which can be used to generate videos…
COLDRIVER Using New Malware To Steal Documents From Western Targets and NGOs
Written by: Wesley Shields Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified a new piece of malware called LOSTKEYS, attributed to the Russian government-backed threat group COLDRIVER (also known as UNC4057, Star Blizzard, and Callisto). LOSTKEYS is capable of stealing files…
COLDRIVER Using New Malware To Steal Documents From Western Targets and NGOs
Written by: Wesley Shields Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified a new piece of malware called LOSTKEYS, attributed to the Russian government-backed threat group COLDRIVER (also known as UNC4057, Star Blizzard, and Callisto). LOSTKEYS is capable of stealing files…
Defending Against UNC3944: Cybercrime Hardening Guidance from the Frontlines
< div class=”block-paragraph_advanced”> Background UNC3944, which overlaps with public reporting on Scattered Spider, is a financially-motivated threat actor characterized by its persistent use of social engineering and brazen communications with victims. In early operations, UNC3944 largely targeted telecommunications-related organizations to…
Hello 0-Days, My Old Friend: A 2024 Zero-Day Exploitation Analysis
Written by: Casey Charrier, James Sadowski, Clement Lecigne, Vlad Stolyarov < div class=”block-paragraph_advanced”> Executive Summary Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) tracked 75 zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in the wild in 2024, a decrease from the number we identified in 2023 (98…