The SpearSpecter campaign is a long-running espionage effort aimed at senior government and defense personnel across multiple regions. Operatives linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Intelligence Organization often tracked under names such as APT42, Mint Sandstorm, Educated Manticore, and CharmingCypress use carefully crafted social approaches to build rapport with targets over extended periods. They often pose as organizers of conferences or official meetings, even contacting victims through messaging apps like WhatsApp to lend credibility. Their objective is to quietly gain access to individuals who handle sensitive national-security information. Security researchers with Israel’s National Digital Agency uncovered evidence showing the operation has been active for months, with a broad victim profile that includes not only high-ranking officials but also their relatives. This strategy widens the attackers’ potential access points and increases the psychological pressure on primary targets. What distinguishes this group is its ability to refine its methods continuously, combining credential theft with advanced, long-term surveillance tools designed to remain hidden on compromised systems. The infection chain typically begins when a target is lured into opening a link presented as a legitimate meeting document. The attackers misuse built-in Windows mechanisms to redirect victims toward attacker-controlled servers that mimic trusted file-hosting services. There, a file disguised as a standard document initiates the installation of a stealthy, memory-resident PowerShell backdoor known as TAMECAT. This tool communicates through multiple everyday platforms and is capable of harvesting browser credentials, capturing frequent screenshots, and exfiltrating documents in small encrypted segments. The campaign shows no indication of slowing, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance among individuals with access to sensitive government networks.
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