Threat Intelligence Directory

Shahid Hemmat is an IRGC-CEC affiliated hacking group linked to cyberattacks targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, including the defense industry and international transportation sectors. The group has been implicated in the hack of a booster station at the Municipal Water Authority in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, which disrupted drinking water supply. Key figures within Shahid Hemmat include Manouchehr Akbari, Amir Hossein Hoseini, Mohammad Hossein Moradi, and Mohammad Reza Rafatnejad. The U.S. government is offering a $10 million reward for information on these individuals.

ShaggyPanther is a threat actor that primarily targets government entities in Taiwan and Malaysia. They have been active since 2008 and utilize hidden encrypted payloads in registry keys. Their activities have been detected in various locations, including Indonesia and Syria.

ShadyPanda is a threat actor behind a 7-year campaign that has infected 4.3 million users through extensions masquerading as productivity tools while functioning as comprehensive spyware. Their tactics include data exfiltration, user surveillance, and systematic collection of corporate meeting intelligence from over 28 video conferencing platforms. Notably, the WeTab extension exemplifies their capabilities, collecting full browsing history and personal data, exfiltrating to 17 different domains. The actor employs steganography to hide malicious code within PNG files and maintains persistent access through shared infrastructure across their extensions.

Shadows in the Cloud documents a complex ecosystem of cyber espionage that systematically compromised government, business, academic, and other computer network systems in India, the Offices of the Dalai Lama, the United Nations, and several other countries. The report also contains an analysis of data which were stolen from politically sensitive targets and recovered during the course of the investigation. These include documents from the Offices of the Dalai Lama and agencies of the Indian national security establishment. Data containing sensitive information on citizens of numerous third-party countries, as well as personal, financial, and business information, were also exfiltrated and recovered during the course of the investigation. The report analyzes the malware ecosystem employed by the Shadows’ attackers, which leveraged multiple redundant cloud computing systems, social networking platforms, and free web hosting services in order to maintain persistent control while operating core servers located in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Although the identity and motivation of the attackers remain unknown, the report is able to determine the location (Chengdu, PRC) as well as some of the associations of the attackers through circumstantial evidence. The investigation is the product of an eight month, collaborative activity between the Information Warfare Monitor (Citizen Lab and SecDev) and the Shadowserver Foundation. The investigation employed a fusion methodology, combining technical interrogation techniques, data analysis, and field research, to track and uncover the Shadow cyber espionage network.

ShadowSyndicate is a threat actor associated with various ransomware groups, using a consistent Secure Shell fingerprint across multiple servers. They have been linked to ransomware families such as Quantum, Nokoyawa, and ALPHV. ShadowSyndicate's infrastructure overlaps with that of Cl0p, suggesting potential connections between the two groups. Their activities indicate they may be a Ransomware-as-a-Service affiliate.

SHADOW-VOID-042 is a provisional intrusion set tracked by Trend Micro, active in October-November 2025, conducting spear-phishing campaigns against energy, defense, pharmaceutical, cybersecurity, and other sectors using lures like HR complaints, research surveys, and fake Trend Micro security updates urging browser fixes. Attacks employ multi-stage loaders: shellcode generates machine-specific IDs for C2 "get_module_hello" requests fetching encrypted Stage 2 (SystemProcessHost.exe) with scheduled tasks for persistence, followed by Stage 3 fetching additional payloads via API hashing and retries on hardcoded C2s. Infrastructure overlaps with Void Rabisu (ROMCOM/Storm-0978), but lacks confirmed ROMCOM deployment or Ukraine focus, warranting separate tracking.

[Sea Turtle](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1041) is a Türkiye-linked threat actor active since at least 2017 performing espionage and service provider compromise operations against victims in Asia, Europe, and North America. [Sea Turtle](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1041) is notable for targeting registrars managing ccTLDs and complex DNS-based intrusions where the threat actor compromised DNS providers to hijack DNS resolution for ultimate victims, enabling [Sea Turtle](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1041) to spoof log in portals and other applications for credential collection.(Citation: Talos Sea Turtle 2019)(Citation: Talos Sea Turtle 2019_2)(Citation: PWC Sea Turtle 2023)(Citation: Hunt Sea Turtle 2024)

Mentioned as operator of DanaBot in CrowdStrike's 2020 Report.

Scripted Sparrow is a prolific Business Email Compromise (BEC) collective that conducts highly targeted phishing campaigns, impersonating professional services firms to deceive finance teams into transferring funds. The group employs a disciplined approach, utilizing consistent language and familiar tones in their communications, while sending between 10,000 and 50,000 emails daily in small batches. They have developed a sophisticated understanding of corporate communication, crafting messages that mimic internal formats and urgency without raising suspicion. Scripted Sparrow relies on a network of US-based mule accounts, with 249 unique bank accounts identified across 42 financial institutions for cash-out operations.

ScreamedJungle is a threat actor that exploits vulnerabilities in outdated Magento e-commerce platforms to inject malicious JavaScript code, specifically Bablosoft JS, into compromised websites. This actor has harvested millions of browser fingerprints by leveraging vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-34102 and CVE-2024-20720. ScreamedJungle utilizes PerfectCanvas technology to ensure pixel-perfect replication of legitimate user fingerprints. Group-IB analysts estimate that over 115 e-commerce sites have been impacted by this fingerprint theft campaign.

[Scattered Spider](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1015) is a native English-speaking cybercriminal group active since at least 2022. (Citation: CrowdStrike Scattered Spider Profile) (Citation: MSTIC Octo Tempest Operations October 2023) The group initially targeted customer relationship management (CRM) providers, business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, and telecommunications and technology companies before expanding in 2023 to gaming, hospitality, retail, managed service provider (MSP), manufacturing, and financial sectors. (Citation: MSTIC Octo Tempest Operations October 2023) [Scattered Spider](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1015) relies heavily on social engineering, including impersonating IT and help-desk staff, to gain initial access, bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA), and compromise enterprise networks. The group has adapted its tooling to evade endpoint detection and response (EDR) defenses and used ransomware for financial gain. (Citation: CISA Scattered Spider Advisory November 2023) (Citation: CrowdStrike Scattered Spider BYOVD January 2023) (Citation: Crowdstrike TELCO BPO Campaign December 2022) [Scattered Spider](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1015) had expanded into hybrid cloud and identity environments, using help-desk impersonation and MFA bypass to obtain administrator access in Okta, AWS, and Office 365. (Citation: Mandiant UNC3944 May 2025)

When the first member of Scattered Canary, who, for the purposes of this report, we call Alpha, began his operations, he was a lone wolf—working mostly Craigslist scams as he learned the tricks of the trade from a mentor. However, within a few years, he had honed his craft enough to expand into romance scams, where he met his first “employee,” Beta. Once they had secured enough mules via their romance scams to launder their stolen money, they shifted from targeting individuals to targeting enterprises, and the group’s BEC operation was born.

Scarred Manticore has been pursuing high-value targets for years, utilizing a variety of IIS-based backdoors to attack Windows servers. These include a variety of custom web shells, custom DLL backdoors, and driver-based implants.

[Scarlet Mimic](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0029) is a threat group that has targeted minority rights activists. This group has not been directly linked to a government source, but the group's motivations appear to overlap with those of the Chinese government. While there is some overlap between IP addresses used by [Scarlet Mimic](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0029) and [Putter Panda](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0024), it has not been concluded that the groups are the same. (Citation: Scarlet Mimic Jan 2016)

SCARLETEEL is a threat actor that primarily targets cloud environments, specifically AWS and Kubernetes. They have been observed stealing proprietary data and intellectual property, as well as conducting cryptomining operations. SCARLETEEL employs sophisticated tactics and tools to bypass security measures and gain unauthorized access to accounts, often exploiting vulnerabilities in containerized workloads and misconfigurations in AWS policies.

ScamClub is a threat actor involved in malvertising activities since 2018. They target the Mobile Web market segment, particularly on iOS devices, where security software is often lacking. ScamClub utilizes obfuscation techniques and real-time bidding integration with ad exchanges to push malicious JavaScript payloads, leading to forced redirects and various scams such as phishing and gift card scams.

A Turkish hacking group, Sath-ı Müdafaa, is encouraging individuals to join its DDoS-for-Points platform that features points and prizes for carrying out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against a list of predetermined targets. Their DDoS tool also contains a backdoor to hack the hackers. So the overarching motivation and allegiance of the group is not entirely clear.

Threat actor tracked by Malpedia.

First disclosed in 2023, the Sandman APT is likely associated with suspected China-based threat clusters known for using the KEYPLUG backdoor, specifically STORM-0866/Red Dev 40. Sandman is tracked as a distinct cluster, pending additional conclusive information. A notable characteristic is its use of the LuaDream backdoor. LuaDream is based on the Lua platform, a relatively rare occurrence in the cyberespionage domain, historically associated with APTs considered Western or Western-aligned.

SandCat, on the other hand, is a group that was discovered more recently by Kaspersky. One of the Windows vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft in December had been exploited by both FruityArmor and SandCat in attacks targeting the Middle East and Africa. SandCat has been using FinFisher/FinSpy spyware and CHAINSHOT, a piece of malware analyzed earlier this year by Palo Alto Networks. The group has also used the CVE-2018-8589 and CVE-2018-8611 Windows vulnerabilities in its attacks, both of which had a zero-day status when Microsoft released fixes.

Threat actor tracked by Malpedia.

SAMBASPIDER is a threat actor associated to the Mispadu malware. On July 24, USDoD allegedly scraped and leaked a 100,000-line Indicator of Compromise list from CrowdStrike, revealing detailed threat intelligence data. The leak, posted on Breach Forums, includes critical insights into the Mispadu malware and SAMBASPIDER threat actor.

Beginning in January 2018 and persisting through the first half of the year, CrowdStrike Intelligence observed SALTY SPIDER, developer and operator of the long-running Sality botnet, distribute malware designed to target cryptocurrency users.

Threat actor tracked by Malpedia.

Saad Tycoon is the operator and alleged developer of the Tycoon 2FA PhaaS, a phishing service that targets users for financial gain. The actor utilizes Bitcoin transactions to generate significant profits from the fraudulent service. The phishing infrastructure includes domain registration, server hosting, and possibly Cloudflare protection.

Ruthless Rabbit has been running investment scam campaigns since November 2022, primarily targeting users in Russia, Poland, Romania, and Kazakhstan. The actor utilizes RDGA patterns to create over 2,600 domains, hosted on multiple dedicated IPs, and employs a cloaking service for validation checks on user leads. Their campaigns have included themes such as Baltic Pipe financial scams and spoofing well-known platforms like WhatsApp and Google Finance. The most prevalent campaign theme involves a spoofed news article from "Channel One" promoting the "GazInvest" platform with promises of high returns.

Ruby Sleet is a threat actor linked to North Korea's Ministry of State Security. Cerium has been involved in spear-phishing campaigns, compromising devices, and conducting cyberattacks alongside other North Korean threat actors. They have also targeted companies involved in COVID-19 research and vaccine development.

RUBYCARP is a financially-motivated threat actor group likely based in Romania, with a history of at least 10 years of activity. They operate a botnet using public exploits and brute force attacks, communicating via public and private IRC networks. RUBYCARP targets vulnerabilities in frameworks like Laravel and WordPress, as well as conducting phishing operations to steal financial assets. They use a variety of tools, including the Perl Shellbot, for post-exploitation activities and have a diverse set of illicit income streams.

ROMCOM is an evolving and sophisticated threat actor group that has been using the malware tool ROMCOM for espionage and financially motivated attacks. They have targeted organizations in Ukraine and NATO countries, including military personnel, government agencies, and political leaders. The ROMCOM backdoor is capable of stealing sensitive information and deploying other malware, showcasing the group's adaptability and growing sophistication.

Targets Saudi Arabia, Israel, US, Iran, high ranking defense officials, embassies of various target countries, notable Iran researchers, human rights activists, media and journalists, academic institutions and various scholars, including scientists in the fields of physics and nuclear sciences.

[Rocke](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0106) is an alleged Chinese-speaking adversary whose primary objective appeared to be cryptojacking, or stealing victim system resources for the purposes of mining cryptocurrency. The name [Rocke](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0106) comes from the email address "rocke@live.cn" used to create the wallet which held collected cryptocurrency. Researchers have detected overlaps between [Rocke](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0106) and the Iron Cybercrime Group, though this attribution has not been confirmed.(Citation: Talos Rocke August 2018)

Threat actor tracked by Malpedia.

RipperSec is a pro-Palestinian, likely Malaysian hacktivist group created in June 2023, known for conducting DDoS attacks, data breaches, and defacements primarily targeting government and educational websites, as well as organizations perceived to support Israel. The group has claimed 196 DDoS attacks, with a significant portion directed at Israel, and utilizes a tool called MegaMedusa for their operations. RipperSec operates on Telegram, where it has amassed over 2,000 members, and collaborates with various like-minded hacktivist groups. Their attack strategy relies heavily on community involvement rather than sophisticated infrastructure.

According to Crowdstrike, RIDDLE SPIDER is the operator behind the avaddon ransomware

RGB-TEAM is a previously unknown Russian-speaking threat actor. They describe themselves as “a community of anonymous hacktivists fighting for freedom.” The group stated that it doesn’t have enemies in the U.S., Europe, “in the East, or in the West.”

RevengeHotels is a targeted cybercrime campaign that has been active since 2015, primarily targeting hotels, hostels, and tourism companies. The threat actor uses remote access Trojan malware to infiltrate hotel front desks and steal credit card data from guests and travelers. The campaign has impacted hotels in multiple countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. The threat actor employs social engineering techniques and sells credentials from infected systems to other cybercriminals for remote access.

Returned Libra, also known as 8220 Mining Group, is a cloud threat actor group that has been active since at least 2017. Tools commonly employed during their operations are PwnRig or DBUsed which are customized variants of the XMRig Monero mining software. The Returned Libra mining group is believed to have originated from a GitHub fork of the Rocke group's software. Returned Libra has elevated its mining operations with the use of cloud service platform credential scrapping.

Since the beginning of 2023, ResumeLooters have been able to compromise at least 65 websites. The group employs a variety of simple techniques, including SQL injection and XSS. The threat actor attempted to insert XSS scripts into all available forms, aiming to execute it on the administrators’ device to obtain admin credentials. While the group was able to execute the XSS script on some visitors’ devices with administrative access, allowing ResumeLooters to steal the HTML code of the pages the victims were visiting, Group-IB did not find any confirmation of admin credential thefts.

REF7707 is a cyber campaign targeting government entities, particularly a foreign ministry in South America, utilizing malware families such as FinalDraft, GuidLoader, and PathLoader for persistence and lateral movement. The threat actor employs the Microsoft Graph API for C2 communication, blending malicious traffic with legitimate activity to evade detection. Despite their technical sophistication, REF7707 operators exhibited poor operational security, leading to the exposure of their infrastructure and malware. Their tactics enable the extraction of sensitive data, including passwords and Active Directory information, facilitating ongoing espionage activities.

Elastic's security team has published a report on REF5961, a cyber-espionage group they found on the network of a Foreign Affairs Ministry from a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Elastic says it found the group's tools next to the malware of another cyber-espionage group it tracks as REF2924. REF5961's arsenal includes malware such as EAGERBEE, RUDEBIRD, and DOWNTOWN.