Forest Blizzard

Forest Blizzard, also known as APT28, Fancy Bear, and Strontium, is a threat actor linked to the Russian General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) and the 85th Main Special Service Center (GTsSS). The group has been involved in persistent espionage campaigns against European countries, which have been strongly condemned by NATO and the European Union. In April 2022, Forest Blizzard gained access to the Moobot botnet and utilized it for their operations. This group is known for its advanced persistent threat (APT) tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), demonstrating consistent and long-lasting repetitions in its activities. The group exploited a Microsoft Outlook flaw, identified as CVE-2023-23397, which escalated privileges within the system. They also used a hacking tool named GooseEgg to exploit the Windows Print Spooler flaw CVE-2022-38028, which was disclosed by Microsoft in October 2022. Forest Blizzard had been using GooseEgg since at least June 2020, but the discovery of this new vulnerability allowed them to find a new pathway into Windows systems. Following these incidents, Microsoft recommended users apply the CVE-2022-38028 security update to mitigate the GooseEgg threat, with the Microsoft Defender Antivirus specifically detecting the Forest Blizzard capability as HackTool:Win64/GooseEgg. This Russia-linked threat actor's actions have attracted international attention, with observations from US agencies and partners from Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Despite efforts to dismantle the botnets and patch vulnerabilities, Forest Blizzard continues to pose a significant threat due to its ability to adapt and utilize publicly available exploits. It is critical for organizations to remain vigilant, apply necessary security updates, and monitor for potential threats associated with this group.