The Iranian hacking group known as MuddyWater has been linked to a new campaign affecting at least nine organizations across nine countries on four continents in the first quarter of 2026. The activity targeted industrial and electronics manufacturing, education and public-sector bodies, financial services, and professional services, per the Threat Hunter Team from Symantec and…
Tag: Iranian
AI, Europe, Global Security News
Iranian Hackers Deploy MiniFast and MiniJunk V2 via Phishing and SEO Poisoning
The Iranian state-sponsored threat actor known as Nimbus Manticore (aka Screening Serpens and UNC1549) has been attributed to a fresh campaign using lures impersonating organizations in the aviation and software sectors across the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East following the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the country in late February 2026. The activity, besides…
AI, APAC, china, Global Security News
Iranian state-backed spies pose as ransomware slingers in false flag attacks
An Iranian state-sponsored espionage group is pretending to be a regular ransomware gang in a new wave of ransomware attacks targeting enterprises. APT group MuddyWater (aka Seedworm) is masquerading as the Chaos ransomware-as-a-service group to confuse incident response and mask its spying and cyber-sabotage, according to research by security vendor Rapid7. The attacks — geared…
AI, Global Security News
MuddyWater hackers use Chaos ransomware as a decoy in attacks
The MuddyWater Iranian hackers disguised their operations as a Chaos ransomware attack, relying on Microsoft Teams social engineering to gain access and establish persistence. […]
Global Security News
Iran-Linked APT Posed as Chaos Ransomware Member in Espionage Campaign
Rapid7 reveals an Iranian false flag operation masquerading as a Chaos ransomware attack
Global Security News
MuddyWater Uses Microsoft Teams to Steal Credentials in False Flag Ransomware Attack
The Iranian state-sponsored hacking group known as MuddyWater (aka Mango Sandstorm, Seedworm, and Static Kitten) has been attributed to a ransomware attack in what has been described as a “false flag” operation. The attack, observed by Rapid7 in early 2026, has been found to leverage social engineering techniques via Microsoft Teams to initiate the infection…
AI, Cybersecurity, Global Security News
Do Ceasefires Slow Cyberattacks? History Suggests Not
The cybersecurity community is waiting with bated breath to see if Iranian hackers will honor a ceasefire that doesn’t actually name or directly involve them.
Global Security News
Iran‑Backed Threat Actors Hit US CNI Providers via Internet‑Facing OT Assets
CISA has revealed Iranian attacks causing disruption and financial loss at US critical infrastructure firms
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, Government & Policy, malware
Iranian hackers launching disruptive attacks at U.S. energy, water targets, feds warn
Iranian government hackers are launching disruptive cyberattacks on American energy and water infrastructure, U.S. government agencies “urgently” warned Tuesday. The hackers are taking aim at devices and systems that control industrial processes, and have harmed victims in the last month following the onset of U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran, according to the joint alert from the…
AI, Data Breaches, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Risk Management
Iranian hackers, Handala, claim to compromise FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal data
Iranian hackers claimed Friday to have compromised the personal data of FBI Director Kash Patel, and the bureau confirmed that it knew of the targeting of Patel’s personal email. The government-connected hacking group, Handala, previously claimed credit for hacking medical device maker Stryker, a boast that threat researchers considered credible. “All personal and confidential email…
Global Security News
Iran-Linked Pay2Key Ransomware Group Re-Emerges
Halcyon and Beazley Security track the return of Iranian ransomware group Pay2Key
Global Security News
Handala Group Tied to Iranian Hack‑and‑Leak Operations, FBI Reveals
The FBI has warned that Iranian hacking group Handala has been targeting opponents of the regime since 2023
AI, Data Breaches, Global Security News, Government & Policy, malware, Russia
FBI: Iranian hackers targeting opponents with Telegram malware
Iranian government-connected groups are deploying malware via the Telegram messaging app, taking aim at dissidents and other opponents of Tehran around the world, the FBI said in an alert Friday. The FBI said attackers linked to the Ministry of Intelligence and Security are behind the campaign, which stretches back to 2023. The bureau is escalating…
Global Security News, malware, Network Security
FBI warns of Handala hackers using Telegram in malware attacks
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned network defenders that Iranian hackers linked to the country’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) are using Telegram in malware attacks. […]
AI, china, Cybersecurity, Data Breaches, Europe, Exploits, Global Security News, Network Security
EU sanctions Chinese and Iranian actors over cyberattacks on critical infrastructure
EU sanctions Chinese and Iranian firms and individuals for cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure and over 65,000 devices across member states. The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on three companies and two individuals linked to cyberattacks against EU countries and partners. “The Council adopted today restrictive measures against three entities and two individuals responsible for cyber-attacks carried…
Global Security News
Iran MOIS Colludes With Criminals to Boost Cyberattacks
Iranian APTs have long pretended to be cybercriminal groups. Now they’re working with actual cybercriminal groups.
AI, china, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Network Security, Politics, Russia
Stryker attack highlights nebulous nature of Iranian cyber activity amid joint U.S.-Israel conflict
A cyberattack that an Iranian hacking group said it carried out against medical device manufacturer Stryker might mark Tehran’s first significant cyber action since the start of the joint U.S.-Israel conflict. But even that may have been a happy accident for Iranian hackers in what has been a low buzz of activity during that timeframe,…
Global Security News
Why Stryker’s Outage Is a Disaster Recovery Wake-Up Call
The Iranian cyberattack on Stryker is the kind of stress test that business continuity and disaster recovery programs often do not plan for.
Global Security News
Leaked Database Sheds Light on Iranian Crypto Sanctions Evasion
Ariomex database reveals potential sanctions evasion and capital transfers tied to Iranian actors
AI, Global Security News
Iranian Cyber Threat Actor Targets Iraqi Government Officials in AI-Powered Campaign
Zscaler ThreatLabz assessed with medium to high confidence that an Iranian adversary targeted Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a new cyber-attack
AI, Cybersecurity, Exploits, Global Security News, Government & Policy, malware, Network Security, Risk Management
Epic Fury introduces new layer of enterprise risk
Operation Epic Fury — the US administration’s sustained kinetic pressure on core Iranian regime assets — introduces a new layer of operational risk for every multinational with people, assets, or dependencies in the Middle East region and beyond. The immediate briefings from Washington — early damage assessments, stated intent, geopolitical framing, and situational updates and…
AI, Cybersecurity, Global Security News, Risk Management, Russia
Middle east crisis prompts UK NCSC warning on potential Iranian cyber activity
UK’s NCSC warns of potential Iranian cyberattacks as Middle East tensions rise, urging vigilance from exposed organizations. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned organizations of a potential increase in Iranian cyber threats amid the escalating Middle East conflict. While it sees no immediate shift in the direct threat to Britain, officials stress…
AI, Global Security News
Expect Iran to Launch Cyber-Attacks Globally, Warns Google Head of Threat Intel
John Hultquist suggests “aggressive” Iranian cyber attackers will target the US and its Gulf allies with plausibly deniable ransomware attacks, hacktivist campaigns and more
AI, Global Security News
Iran’s MuddyWater Targets Orgs With Fresh Malware as Tensions Mount
The long-active Iranian threat group debuted various attack strains and payloads in attacks against organizations in the Middle East and Africa.
AI, Global Security News, malware
MuddyWater Targets MENA Organizations with GhostFetch, CHAR, and HTTP_VIP
The Iranian hacking group known as MuddyWater (aka Earth Vetala, Mango Sandstorm, and MUDDYCOAST) has targeted several organizations and individuals mainly located across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as part of a new campaign codenamed Operation Olalampo. The activity, first observed on January 26, 2026, has resulted in the deployment of new…
AI, Global Security News
Infy Hackers Resume Operations with New C2 Servers After Iran Internet Blackout Ends
The elusive Iranian threat group known as Infy (aka Prince of Persia) has evolved its tactics as part of efforts to hide its tracks, even as it readied new command-and-control (C2) infrastructure coinciding with the end of the widespread internet blackout the regime imposed at the start of the month. “The threat actor stopped maintaining…
Global Security News
Protests Don’t Impede Iranian Spying on Expats, Syrians, Israelis
Iranian threat actors have been stealing credentials from people of interest across the Middle East, using spear-phishing and social engineering.