MERCURY

Threat Actor Profile Updated 10 days ago
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Mercury, also known as MuddyWater and Static Kitten, is a threat actor group linked to global espionage activities, with suspected ties to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security. This group has been noted for its malicious activities, compromising multiple victims that another group, POLONIUM, previously targeted. The cybersecurity community has recognized the significant security challenges posed by Mercury, highlighting its activities in relation to hybrid IT infrastructures. Recently, Mercury Financial, a high-interest, low credit score non-bank credit card company that uses Evolve to issue cards, reported a data breach. The compromised data included account numbers, deposit balances, business owner names, and emails associated with Mercury and other fintech accounts. The company has notified its affected customers about the breach and the preventative measures being taken to secure their funds. Alex Arango, Head of Cyber Threat Management at Mercury Financial, has been actively working on strengthening the company's defenses using threat intelligence from Recorded Future. In an unrelated event, defensive sectors including consumer staples and utilities showed resilience on the local bourse, with Mercury NZ among the largest large-cap advancers. However, it should be clarified that this Mercury refers to a different entity than the threat actor or Mercury Financial. Similarly, references to "Mercury" in other contexts such as Virginia Mercury, a news outlet, and Mercury in the context of the Regents' meeting, do not pertain to the threat actor group.
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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
MuddyWater
5
MuddyWater is an advanced persistent threat (APT) group, also known as Earth Vetala, MERCURY, Static Kitten, Seedworm, and TEMP.Zagros. This threat actor has been linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) according to a joint advisory from cybersecurity firms. The group empl
Mango Sandstorm
2
Mango Sandstorm, also known as MuddyWater or Mercury, is a threat actor group linked to Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) by the Israeli government. The group has been identified as being involved in several cyber-attacks, utilizing various tactics to gain initial access to targete
Mint Sandstorm
2
Mint Sandstorm, an Iranian nation-state threat actor also known as APT35 and Charming Kitten, has been identified by Microsoft as a significant cybersecurity concern. The group is linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and is known for its sophisticated cyber campaigns targeting high-val
TEMP.Zagros
1
TEMP.Zagros, also known as MuddyWater, Earth Vetala, MERCURY, Static Kitten, and Seedworm, is an Iran-nexus threat actor that has been active since at least May 2017. This group is associated with the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and has historically targeted regions and sect
POLONIUM
1
Polonium is a threat actor group, believed to be based in Lebanon, that has been responsible for significant cyberattacks on Israel's operational technology (OT) and critical infrastructure. In December, Israel's National Cyber Directorate issued warnings that Polonium had targeted critical sectors
Static Kitten
1
Static Kitten, also known as MuddyWater, Mercury, Mango Sandstorm, and TA450, is an Iranian government-sponsored hacking group suspected to be linked to the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security. The group has been active since 2017 and is notorious for its cyber-espionage activities. Static
Miscellaneous Associations
Other elements of context that could aid in the identification of relevance
Microsoft
flaw
Vulnerability
Papercut
Azure
State Sponso...
Lateral Move...
Red Hat
Youtube
Bitcoin
Scams
Crowdstrike
Iran
Espionage
Aws
At
Net
Windows
Vpn
exploitation
Africa
Android
iranian
Gbhackers
Apple
Adobe
Openai
Apt
Remote Code ...
Exploit
Backdoor
Ransomware
Associated Malware
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
QuartzUnspecified
1
Quartz is a potent malware that has recently been in the spotlight for its alleged role in a high-profile cyberattack. The New York Times was accused by OpenAI of employing someone to use Quartz to hack ChatGPT, one of OpenAI's advanced language models. This incident underscores the growing threat o
MarsUnspecified
1
Mars is a malicious software (malware) that has been discovered by Trend Micro's Mobile Application Reputation Service (MARS) team. This malware is particularly damaging as it involves two new Android malware families related to cryptocurrency mining and financially-motivated scam campaigns, targeti
LuckyUnspecified
1
"Lucky" is a malicious software (malware) that has been compromising systems, causing significant disruptions and potential data loss. This malware infiltrates systems through suspicious downloads, emails, or websites, often unbeknownst to the user. Once inside a system, it can steal personal inform
Associated Threat Actors
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
PhosphorusUnspecified
2
Phosphorus, also known as APT35 or Charming Kitten, is a notorious Iranian cyberespionage group linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This threat actor has been involved in a series of malicious activities, employing novel tactics and tools. A significant discovery was made by the
APT35Unspecified
2
APT35, also known as the Newscaster Team, Charming Kitten, and Mint Sandstorm, is an Iranian government-sponsored cyber espionage group. The group focuses on long-term, resource-intensive operations to collect strategic intelligence. They primarily target sectors in the U.S., Western Europe, and the
Lace TempestUnspecified
1
Lace Tempest, a threat actor known for executing actions with malicious intent, has been identified as the orchestrator behind a series of cyber attacks exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in SysAid. The exploit was first brought to light by SysAid and further detailed in a blog post on TuxCare. Thi
Boggy SerpensUnspecified
1
None
Associated Vulnerabilities
To see the evidence that has resulted in this association, create a free account
IDTypeVotesProfile Description
CVE-2023-27350Unspecified
2
CVE-2023-27350 is a significant software vulnerability discovered in PaperCut NG/MF, a popular print management software. This flaw in software design or implementation allows attackers to bypass authentication and execute code with system privileges, posing a serious threat to both server and inter
Log4ShellUnspecified
1
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
Source Document References
Information about the MERCURY Threat Actor was read from the documents corpus below. This display is limited to 20 results, create a free account to see more
SourceCreatedAtTitle
BankInfoSecurity
10 days ago
Iranian State Hackers Are Deploying a New Malware Backdoor
Malwarebytes
24 days ago
Affirm says Evolve Bank data breach also compromised some of its customers | Malwarebytes
BankInfoSecurity
24 days ago
Evolve Ransomware Hack Affects Affirm and Fintech Companies
CERT-EU
6 months ago
Kansas State President Gives Cybersecurity Update | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware | National Cyber Security Consulting
CERT-EU
6 months ago
Google plans to allow more real-money games on the Play Store, starting with India, Brazil, and Mexico in June 2024, in compliance with local laws
CERT-EU
9 months ago
Hybrid IT opens new avenues for cybercriminals
CERT-EU
7 months ago
APPALACHIAN POWER, WHEELING POWER SEEK APPROVAL OF SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT IN FUEL COST CASES
CERT-EU
7 months ago
AEP SIGNS AGREEMENT TO SELL NEW MEXICO SOLAR ASSETS
Recorded Future
7 months ago
Threat Intelligence to Elevate Your Security Defenses | Recorded Future
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Does Private Internet Access Work in Russia? (2023)
CERT-EU
8 months ago
Italy's competition watchdog opens an investigation into whether Meta has failed to provide adequate information on how to mark branded content on Instagram
CERT-EU
8 months ago
A California jury convicts former VC Mike Rothenberg for defrauding investors on 21 counts of bank fraud, false statements, money laundering, and wire fraud
CERT-EU
9 months ago
Insights from Security Mavericks: Interpublic Group, FICO, and Mercury
CERT-EU
9 months ago
Techrights — Links 27/10/2023: Facebook Shrinks by a Lot, Yet More Microsoft Layoffs
CERT-EU
9 months ago
A researcher details malicious and convincing Google ads linking to a fake site for password manager KeePass; Google shows a verified advertiser paid for them
Naked Security
a year ago
Serious Security: Rowhammer returns to gaslight your computer
CERT-EU
10 months ago
New Zealand university operating despite cyberattack
CERT-EU
10 months ago
ASX dives to 60-day low after Wall Street’s worst day in six months
CERT-EU
10 months ago
OilRig’s Outer Space and Juicy Mix: Same ol’ rig, new drill pipes
CERT-EU
a year ago
Sources: Apple spent $5M on the film rights for Michael Lewis' book about Sam Bankman-Fried; at least eight Hollywood projects on SBF are in the works so far