Andariel

Threat Actor Profile Updated 2 months ago
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Andariel, a notorious threat actor associated with the Lazarus Group and linked to North Korea, is known for its malicious cyber activities. The group has been identified using DTrack malware and Maui ransomware, notably in mid-2022, and has developed a reputation for exploiting ActiveX objects. Researchers have noted that Andariel's tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) overlap significantly with other North Korean Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups such as Lazarus and Kimsuky. The group has also been reported using MeshAgent for post-compromise access and a custom proxy tool named "LazyLoad" for its operations. A previously undocumented malware family was discovered as an addition to Andariel’s set of TTPs, further expanding their capabilities. From October 2022 to July 2023, Andariel, along with Lazarus and Kimsuky, conducted extensive cyber espionage against 83 South Korean defense contractors, successfully extracting confidential data from about ten firms. In one instance, Andariel managed to obtain login information belonging to an employee of a company responsible for remote IT maintenance for one of these defense contractors. This breach provided them with a valuable entry point for further exploitation. South Korean police investigations have confirmed concurrent espionage campaigns carried out by Andariel, Kimsuky, and the broader Lazarus Group during this period. The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) has attributed these cyber espionage campaigns to the three North Korean state-backed groups: Lazarus, Kimsuky, and Andariel. In another case attributed to Andariel, threat actors used an account of an employee of a company that maintains servers for a defense industry company. These North Korea-linked APT groups, including Lazarus, Andariel, and Kimsuky, have reportedly hacked multiple defense companies in South Korea. Given the severity and sophistication of these attacks, customers are strongly recommended to apply security fixes as soon as possible. This is particularly important as several nation-state threat actors, including Russian APT29 and North Korean Lazarus and Andariel, as well as ransomware gangs, have been seen exploiting similar vulnerabilities in the past.
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Possible Aliases / Cluster overlaps
It's hard to track cluster overlaps and naming conventions between vendors, so here are some possible overlapping names / profiles you also may want to look at.
IDVotesProfile Description
Lazarus Group
5
The Lazarus Group, a notorious threat actor believed to be linked to North Korea, has been attributed with a series of significant cyber-attacks over the past few years. The group's malicious activities include the exploitation of digital infrastructure, stealing cryptocurrency, and executing large-
Onyx Sleet
4
Onyx Sleet, a North Korean nation-state threat actor, has been identified as a significant cybersecurity risk by Microsoft. Operating under the Lazarus Group umbrella, Onyx Sleet primarily targets defense and IT services organizations in South Korea, the United States, and India. In October 2023, Mi
Stonefly
3
Stonefly, also known as Andariel or Silent Chollima, is a threat actor group believed to be linked with the North Korean government. Active since at least 2015, Stonefly has been involved in numerous attacks, including several attributed to the North Korean state-sponsored operation Lazarus. The gro
Silent Chollima
3
Silent Chollima, a North Korea-nexus threat actor, is known for its malicious cyber activities. The group, which is part of the 3rd Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence and Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's foreign intelligence agency, has been associated with other groups such as Lazarus,
Rgb
3
RGB, a threat actor with ties to North Korea, has been involved in a range of malicious cyber activities. The group was designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on January 2, 2015, under Executive Order 13687 for being a controlled entity of the North Korean government. In addition
Reconnaissance General Bureau
3
The Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) is a North Korean intelligence agency responsible for clandestine operations abroad, including cyber activities. The RGB has been associated with several threat actors, including the BeagleBoyz, who have likely been active since at least 2014. Other groups lin
APT38
2
APT38, also known as TA444, BlueNoroff, BlackAlicanto, Coperenicum, Sapphire Sleet, Stardust Chollima, and TraderTraitor, is a threat actor group suspected to be backed by the North Korean regime. The group has been active in operations across over 16 organizations in at least 11 countries, primaril
Bluenoroff
2
BlueNoroff, a threat actor closely associated with the notorious Lazarus Group, has been actively involved in malicious cyber activities primarily targeting financial institutions and cryptocurrency businesses. Known for its sophisticated attacks on banks, casinos, fintech companies, POST software,
ZINC
2
Zinc, also known as Diamond Sleet, is a North Korea-based threat actor group that has been actively involved in cyberattacks on global media, defense, and IT industries. Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Center has been tracking the group's activities, which have included weaponizing open-source softw
Reconnaissance General Bureau Rgb
2
The Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) is a North Korean military intelligence agency identified as a threat actor responsible for various cyberattacks. RGB is associated with hacking groups known as the "Lazarus Group," "Bluenoroff," and "Andariel," which are recognized as agencies or controlled e
Plutonium
2
Plutonium, a threat actor with potentially global implications, has been involved in several critical incidents. The group's activities have been traced back to the 1960s when alleged Israeli scientists visited NUMEC, claiming to obtain plutonium-238 for non-nuclear projects. The lack of stringent r
Apt43
1
APT43, also known as Kimsuky, is a North Korean state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) group that has been actively involved in cybercrime and espionage. The group has been implicated in a series of attacks exploiting vulnerabilities, which have drawn the attention of various cybersecurity
Labyrinth Chollima
1
Labyrinth Chollima, a threat actor linked to North Korea, has been involved in numerous malicious activities since 2009. Tracked by CrowdStrike and other cybersecurity organizations, Labyrinth Chollima is part of the Lazarus Group, known for stealthy attacks targeting various industries such as acad
Blacksmith
1
Operation Blacksmith is a campaign that was first unveiled in 2021 by researchers who demonstrated a BlackSmith attack. This attack showed that it's possible to cause failures even with RowHammer protections in place, thereby bypassing these security measures. The campaign employed at least three ne
Lilacsquid
1
LilacSquid is a threat actor that has been actively targeting organizations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia since at least 2021. This group utilizes various tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) to execute their malicious activities, including the use of Secure Socket Funneling (SSF) to establish
Miscellaneous Associations
Other elements of context that could aid in the identification of relevance
Apt
Malware
Korean
Ransomware
Cybercrime
Reconnaissance
Police
Exploit
Vulnerability
Log4j
Proxy
Telegram
Backdoor
State Sponso...
Downloader
Espionage
Teamcity
Bitcoin
Ransom
Extortion
Rat
Microsoft
Apache Activ...
Kaspersky
Blacksmith
Operation Bl...
Dropper
Implant
Payload
Windows
Trojan
Fraud
Phishing
Lateral Move...
Associated Malware
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
EarlyratUnspecified
2
EarlyRat is a previously undocumented malware discovered by Kaspersky researchers in June. The North Korea-linked Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group Andariel used EarlyRat in attacks exploiting the Log4j Log4Shell vulnerability last year. The malware was first noticed in one of the Log4j cases,
NineratUnspecified
2
NineRAT is a malware strain developed by the Lazarus group, and it was first used in Operation Blacksmith in March 2022 against a South American agricultural organization. The malware was initially built around May 2022 and was later observed being utilized in September against a European manufactur
CollectionratUnspecified
2
CollectionRAT is a newly identified malware, discovered by cybersecurity researchers who traced its origins through reused infrastructure components. This malicious software, short for Malware, is designed to exploit and damage computers or devices, often infiltrating systems via suspicious download
LockbitUnspecified
1
LockBit is a type of malware, specifically ransomware, that infiltrates systems to exploit and damage them. It can enter your system through various channels such as suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often without the user's knowledge. Once inside, it can steal personal information, disrupt
DtrackUnspecified
1
DTrack is a type of malware, or malicious software, known for its destructive capabilities. It can infiltrate systems through dubious downloads, emails, or websites and wreak havoc by stealing personal information, disrupting operations, or holding data hostage for ransom. Notably, DTrack was utiliz
WannaCryUnspecified
1
WannaCry is a type of malware, specifically ransomware, that caused significant global disruption in 2017. It exploited Windows SMBv1 Remote Code Execution Vulnerabilities (CVE-2017-0144, CVE-2017-0145, CVE-2017-0143), which allowed it to spread rapidly and infect over 200,000 machines across more t
Dtrack BackdoorUnspecified
1
The DTrack backdoor is a malicious software (malware) primarily used by the Andariel group, a cybercriminal entity known for its sophisticated cyberattacks. The malware infects Windows machines by executing a Log4j exploit, which downloads additional harmful software from a command-and-control (C2)
MagicratUnspecified
1
MagicRAT is a type of malware, first observed by Cisco Talos in 2022, that was used by the Lazarus Group to exploit vulnerabilities in publicly exposed VMWare Horizon platforms, primarily targeting energy companies worldwide. This malicious software, which can infiltrate systems through suspicious d
Associated Threat Actors
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IDTypeVotesProfile Description
KimsukyUnspecified
5
Kimsuky is a North Korea-linked advanced persistent threat (APT) group that conducts global cyber-attacks to gather intelligence for the North Korean government. The group has been identified as a significant threat actor, executing actions with malicious intent, and has recently targeted victims vi
temp.hermitUnspecified
2
Temp.Hermit, also known as Lazarus Group or Hidden Cobra, is a threat actor group associated with North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). The group has been operational since 2013 and is known for its cyberespionage activities targeting governments and sectors such as defense, telecommuni
Lazarus TeamUnspecified
1
None
Diamond SleetUnspecified
1
Diamond Sleet, a North Korea-linked Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), has been identified as a significant threat actor in the cybersecurity landscape. This group is known for its sophisticated supply chain attacks, specifically leveraging CyberLink software to execute their malicious activities. Th
APT37Unspecified
1
APT37, also known as ScarCruft, Reaper, or Group123, is a threat actor suspected to be linked to North Korea. It primarily targets South Korea but has also extended its activities to Japan, Vietnam, and the Middle East, focusing on various industry verticals such as chemicals, electronics, manufactu
ScarCruftUnspecified
1
ScarCruft, also known as APT37, Inky Squid, RedEyes, Reaper, or Group123, is a North Korean threat actor group associated with malicious cyber activities. Their actions have been linked to the execution of targeted attacks against individual Android devices, as outlined in a VB2023 paper titled "Int
APT29Unspecified
1
APT29, also known as Cozy Bear, SVR group, BlueBravo, Nobelium, Midnight Blizzard, and The Dukes, is a threat actor linked to Russia. This group is notorious for its malicious activities in the cybersecurity realm, executing actions with harmful intent. It has been associated with several high-profi
Associated Vulnerabilities
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
CVE-2023-42793Unspecified
4
CVE-2023-42793 is a critical security vulnerability identified in JetBrains TeamCity build management and continuous integration server. This flaw, characterized by an authentication bypass, was exploited by multiple threat actors throughout 2023 and into 2024. The first notable exploitation occurre
Log4ShellUnspecified
3
Log4Shell is a software vulnerability, specifically a flaw in the design or implementation of the popular Java logging library, Log4j. Identified as CVE-2021-44228, this vulnerability allows an attacker to remotely execute arbitrary code, often leading to full system compromise. Advanced Persistent
CVE-2023-46604Unspecified
1
CVE-2023-46604 is a critical vulnerability identified in Apache ActiveMQ, specifically affecting versions prior to 5.15.16, 5.16.7, 5.17.6, and 5.18.3. This flaw, which lies within the Java OpenWire protocol marshaller, allows for Remote Code Execution (RCE) and has been assigned a maximum severity
HazyloadUnspecified
1
HazyLoad is a software vulnerability exploited by the threat actor Andariel to establish a direct connection with infected systems, bypassing the need for continued exploitation of the Log4j flaw. This custom-made implant acts as a proxy tool, allowing attackers to maintain persistence in the system
Source Document References
Information about the Andariel Threat Actor was read from the documents corpus below. This display is limited to 20 results, create a free account to see more
SourceCreatedAtTitle
DARKReading
2 months ago
LilacSquid APT Employs Open Source Tools, QuasarRAT
Securityaffairs
2 months ago
LilacSquid APT targeted orgs in the U.S., Europe, and Asia
Securelist
3 months ago
APT trends report Q1 2024 – Securelist
Checkpoint
3 months ago
29th April – Threat Intelligence Report - Check Point Research
DARKReading
3 months ago
3 DPRK APTs Spied on South Korea Defense Industry
InfoSecurity-magazine
3 months ago
North Korean Hackers Target Dozens of Defense Companies
Securityaffairs
3 months ago
North Korea-linked APT groups target South Korean defense contractors
CERT-EU
5 months ago
Critical JetBrains TeamCity flaws come under active attacks
CERT-EU
5 months ago
JetBrain urges to fix critical TeamCity On-Premises vulnerabilities
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Cyber Security Week In Review: December 29, 2023
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability: The Threat That Cannot Be Ignored
DARKReading
7 months ago
Global TeamCity Exploitation Opens Door to SolarWinds-Style Nightmare
BankInfoSecurity
7 months ago
Lazarus Exploits Log4Shell to Deploy Telegram-Based Malware
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Lazarus Group continues to exploit Log4j flaw in latest campaign
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Lazarus Group Exploits Log4j Flaw in New Malware Campaign
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Lazarus Cyber Group Deploys DLang Malware Strains - Slashdot
Securityaffairs
7 months ago
Operation Blacksmith: Lazarus exploits Log4j flaws to deploy DLang malware
CERT-EU
7 months ago
Stronger action against North Korean cyber threats pushed by US, South Korea, Japan
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Lazarus Group bang on trend with memory-safe Dlang malware
DARKReading
8 months ago
Lazarus Group Is Still Juicing Log4Shell, Using RATs Written in 'D'