Chinese “Twisted Panda” hackers have reported spying on Russian defence institutes

At least two research institutes in Russia and a third possible target in Belarus; have been targeted by a Chinese nation-state sophisticated persistent threat (APT). “Twisted Panda” was the name given to the hackers.

Chinese “Twisted Panda” hackers have reported spying on Russian defence institutes

The “Twisted Panda” attacks coincide with Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine; allowing a wide spectrum of threat actors to quickly adapt their campaigns to distribute malware; and carry out opportunistic attacks in response to the present conflict.
They’ve taken the form of social engineering techniques that use topical controversy and sanctions baits; this is to trick potential victims into opening weaponized papers or clicking on illicit URLs.

The latest intelligence-gathering activity has been attributed to a Chinese threat actor with ties to Stone Panda (also known as APT 10, Cicada, or Potassium) and Mustang Panda, according to Check Point, an Israeli cybersecurity firm (aka Bronze President, HoneyMyte, or RedDelta).