HollowQuill
Intelligence Profile
SEQRITE Labs APT-Team has been tracking and has uncovered a campaign targeting the Baltic State Technical University, a well-known institution for various defense, aerospace, and advanced engineering programs that contribute to Russia’s military-industrial complex. Tracked as Operation HollowQuill, the campaign leverages weaponized decoy documents masquerading as official research invitations to infiltrate academic, governmental, and defense-related networks. The threat entity delivers a malicious RAR file which contains a .NET malware dropper, which further drops other Golang based shellcode loader along with legitimate OneDrive application and a decoy-based PDF with a final Cobalt Strike payload.
Threat Analysis
HollowQuill is a advanced-sophistication threat actor of undetermined national origin, engaged in cyber operations with a primary motivation of espionage.
The group's espionage-oriented operations suggest a state-sponsored or state-aligned mandate, typically focused on stealing intellectual property, government secrets, or military intelligence. Targets are usually selected for strategic value rather than financial gain.
Classified as an advanced threat actor, HollowQuill likely develops or acquires zero-day exploits, employs custom malware toolchains, and demonstrates long-term persistence capabilities — hallmarks of a well-resourced operation consistent with nation-state backing.