- Category
- State · Attributed to a state or working for one.
- Origin
- China(high confidence)
- Sponsor
- State-sponsored
- Motivation
- Information theft and espionage
- Seen
- 2022
- Sources
- 5 sources carry it
- Identifier
- GINC-APT-0387 · ceranakeeper
ChinaWhat it is
CeranaKeeper is a China-aligned APT that has been active since at least early 2022, primarily targeting governmental institutions in Asian countries. The group employs custom backdoors like TONESHELL and OneDoor, leveraging cloud services such as Dropbox and OneDrive for data exfiltration. CeranaKeeper utilizes techniques like side-loading, brute-force attacks, and the deployment of BAT scripts to extend its reach within compromised networks. Their operations are characterized by a relentless pursuit of sensitive data, adapting their toolset and methods to evade detection.
Attribution
Each attribution is a claim: who makes it, and to whom. Western and Eastern sources are kept apart, as they often disagree.
Western sources
Targets
- Countries
- Japan, Myanmar, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand
- Sectors
- Government
Tools
The tools and malware families the sources tie to it.
- Backdoor.Oldrea
- China Chopper
- CloudDuke
- PUBLOAD
- TONEINS
- TONESHELL
Sources
- ETDA Threat Group Card apt.etda.or.th
- Malpedia malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de