Microsoft is publishing for the first time our research into a subgroup within the Russian state actor Seashell Blizzard and its multiyear initial access operation, tracked by Microsoft Threat Intelligence as the “BadPilot campaign”.
In mid-November 2024, Microsoft Threat Intelligence observed the Russian threat actor we track as Star Blizzard sending their typical targets spear-phishing messages, this time offering the supposed opportunity to join a WhatsApp group.
Microsoft discovered a macOS vulnerability allowing attackers to bypass System Integrity Protection (SIP) by loading third party kernel extensions, which could lead to serious consequences, such as allowing attackers to install rootkits, create persistent malware, bypass Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC), and expand the attack surface to perform other unauthorized operations.
Since January 2024, Microsoft has observed Secret Blizzard using the tools or infrastructure of other threat groups to attack targets in Ukraine and download its custom backdoors Tavdig and KazuarV2.
Microsoft has observed Secret Blizzard compromising the infrastructure and backdoors of the Pakistan-based threat actor we track as Storm-0156 for espionage against the Afghanistan government and Indian Army targets.
At CYBERWARCON 2024, Microsoft Threat Intelligence analysts will share research and insights on North Korean and Chinese threat actors representing years of threat actor tracking, infrastructure monitoring and disruption, and their attack tooling.