- Category
- State · Attributed to a state or working for one.
- Origin
- China(high confidence)
- Sponsor
- China
- Motivation
- Espionage
- Sources
- 3 sources carry it
- Identifier
- GINC-APT-0918 · sandman-apt
ChinaWhat it is
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.
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
- MISP Galaxy (CFR tagging)China
- ThreatActor.info (Malpedia et al.)China
Targets
- Countries
- Afghanistan, Egypt, France, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Middle East, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Southeast Asian, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
- Sectors
- Government, Telecommunications
Tools
The tools and malware families the sources tie to it.
- Backdoor.Oldrea
- China Chopper
- Cyber Eye RAT
- CyberGate
Sources
- Malpedia malpedia.caad.fkie.fraunhofer.de