Written by: Bhavesh Dhake, Will Silverstone, Matthew Hitchcock, Aaron Fletcher The Criticality of Privileged Access in Today’s Threat Landscape Privileged access stands as the most critical pathway for adversaries seeking to compromise sensitive systems and data. Its protection is not…
Tag: Threat Intelligence
What’s new with Google Cloud
Want to know the latest from Google Cloud? Find it here in one handy location. Check back regularly for our newest updates, announcements, resources, events, learning opportunities, and more. Tip: Not sure where to find what you’re looking for on the…
Help Wanted: Vietnamese Actors Using Fake Job Posting Campaigns to Deliver Malware and Steal Credentials
Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) is tracking a cluster of financially motivated threat actors operating from Vietnam that leverages fake job postings on legitimate platforms to target individuals in the digital advertising and marketing sectors. The actor effectively uses social…
Pro-Russia Information Operations Leverage Russian Drone Incursions into Polish Airspace
Written by: Alden Wahlstrom, David Mainor Introduction Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) observed multiple instances of pro-Russia information operations (IO) actors promoting narratives related to the reported incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace that occurred on Sept. 9-10, 2025.…
To Be (A Robot) or Not to Be: New Malware Attributed to Russia State-Sponsored COLDRIVER
Written by: Wesley Shields Introduction COLDRIVER, a Russian state-sponsored threat group known for targeting high profile individuals in NGOs, policy advisors and dissidents, swiftly shifted operations after the May 2025 public disclosure of its LOSTKEYS malware, operationalizing new malware families…
New Group on the Block: UNC5142 Leverages EtherHiding to Distribute Malware
Written by: Mark Magee, Jose Hernandez, Bavi Sadayappan, Jessa Valdez Since late 2023, Mandiant Threat Defense and Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) have tracked UNC5142, a financially motivated threat actor that abuses the blockchain to facilitate the distribution of information…
DPRK Adopts EtherHiding: Nation-State Malware Hiding on Blockchains
Written by: Blas Kojusner, Robert Wallace, Joseph Dobson Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has observed the North Korea (DPRK) threat actor UNC5342 using ‘EtherHiding’ to deliver malware and facilitate cryptocurrency theft, the first time GTIG has observed a nation-state actor…
Oracle E-Business Suite Zero-Day Exploited in Widespread Extortion Campaign
Written by: Peter Ukhanov, Genevieve Stark, Zander Work, Ashley Pearson, Josh Murchie, Austin Larsen Introduction Beginning Sept. 29, 2025, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) and Mandiant began tracking a new, large-scale extortion campaign by a threat actor claiming affiliation with…
Cybercrime Observations from the Frontlines: UNC6040 Proactive Hardening Recommendations
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…
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…