BlackBerry Uncovers Massive Hack-For-Hire Group Targeting Governments, Businesses, Human Rights Groups and Influential Individuals
Summary
BlackBerry Limited released new research highlighting the true reach and sophistication of one of the most elusive, patient, and effective publicly known threat actors – BAHAMUT. “The sophistication and sheer scope of malicious activity that our team was able to link to BAHAMUT is staggering,” said Eric Milam, VP, Research Operations at BlackBerry. “They rely on malware as a last resort, are highly adept at phishing, tend to aim for mobile phones of specific individuals as a way into an organization, show an exceptional attention to detail and above all are patient – they have been known to watch their targets and wait for a year or more in some cases.” Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of BAHAMUT’s tradecraft that BlackBerry discovered is the group’s use of original, painstakingly crafted websites, applications and personas. The applications were complete with well-designed websites, privacy policies and written terms of service – often overlooked by threat actors – which helped them bypass safeguards put in place by both Google and Apple. Named by researchers for the open-source intelligence site Bellingcat, BAHAMUT leverages publicly available tools, imitates other threat groups and changes its tactics frequently, which has made attribution difficult in the past.
Classifications
AskAI Classifications
LabelsLinked Companies
