Introduction
A previously undocumented attack group is using both custom and off-the-shelf malware to target IT providers in Saudi Arabia in what appear to be supply chain attacks with the end goal of compromising the IT providers’ customers. The group, which we are calling Tortoiseshell, has been active since at least July 2018. Symantec has identified a total of 11 organizations hit by the group, the majority of which are based in Saudi Arabia. In at least two organizations, evidence suggests that the attackers gained domain admin-level access.
Activities and Tactics
Targeted Sectors: Defense, Government, Military, Finance, Energy, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Telecoms, High-Tech, Media, NGOs, Civil Society, Legal, Rail, Transportation
Country of Origin: 🇮🇷 Iran
Risk Level: High
Incident Type: Espionage
Suspected Victims: United States, Israel, Middle East, Europe
Notable Campaigns
Information pending cataloguing.
Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)
Information pending cataloguing.
Notable Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
No curated IOCs are currently published for this actor. This section will be updated when stable, attributable indicators are available.
Malware and Tools
- Arabian-Attacker RAT
Attribution and Evidence
Country of Origin: Iran Additional attribution information pending cataloguing.
References
References pending cataloguing.