www.darkreading.com Open in urlscan Pro
2606:4700::6810:e1ab  Public Scan

Form analysis
0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Dark Reading is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC
Informa PLC|ABOUT US|INVESTOR RELATIONS|TALENT
This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all
copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place,
London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales and Scotlan. Number 8860726.

Black Hat NewsOmdia CybersecurityAdvertise

Newsletter Sign-Up

Newsletter Sign-Up

Cybersecurity Topics

RELATED TOPICS

 * Application Security
 * Cybersecurity Careers
 * Cloud Security
 * Cyber Risk
 * Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
 * Cybersecurity Analytics
 * Cybersecurity Operations
 * Data Privacy
 * Endpoint Security
 * ICS/OT Security

 * Identity & Access Mgmt Security
 * Insider Threats
 * IoT
 * Mobile Security
 * Perimeter
 * Physical Security
 * Remote Workforce
 * Threat Intelligence
 * Vulnerabilities & Threats


World

RELATED TOPICS

 * DR Global
 * Middle East & Africa

 * Asia Pacific

See All
The Edge
DR Technology
Events

RELATED TOPICS

 * Upcoming Events
 * Podcasts

 * Webinars

SEE ALL
Resources

RELATED TOPICS

 * Library
 * Newsletters
 * Podcasts
 * Reports
 * Videos
 * Webinars

 * Whitepapers
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * Partner Perspectives

SEE ALL


 * Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
 * Application Security
 * Threat Intelligence

Breaking cybersecurity news, news analysis, commentary, and other content from
around the world, with an initial focus on the Middle East & Africa and the Asia
Pacific




CHINA-BACKED APT GROUP CULLING THAI GOVERNMENT DATACHINA-BACKED APT GROUP
CULLING THAI GOVERNMENT DATA

CeranaKeeper is bombarding Southeast Asia with data exfiltration attacks via
file-sharing services such as Pastebin, OneDrive, and GitHub, researchers say.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

October 3, 2024

1 Min Read
Source: Antonio Gill via Alamy Stock Photo


An emergent China-aligned threat actor called CeranaKeeper has orchestrated a
massive data exfiltration effort across Southeast Asia, most recently launching
a barrage of cyberattacks against government institutions of Thailand.

The group has been working since early 2022, according to ESET researchers.
Analysis showed CeranaKeeper was using components common with the known
Chinese-backed APT group Mustang Panda, in addition to fresh tools for
undermining legitimate file-sharing services, including Pastebin, Dropbox,
OneDrive, and GitHub.

"Based on our findings, we decided to track this activity cluster as the work of
a separate threat actor," a new ESET report said. "The numerous occurrences of
the string [Bb]ectrl in the code of the group's tools inspired us to name it
CeranaKeeper; it is a wordplay between the words beekeeper and the bee
species Apis Cerana, or the Asian honey bee."

CeranaKeeper broke into Thai government systems through a brute-force attack
against a local area network domain control server in mid-2023, ESET said. From
there the group was able to get privileged access, deploy the Toneshell backdoor
and a credential dumping tool, and also abuse a legitimate Avast driver to
disable security protections.

Once comfortably in the network, the group began a massive data harvesting
effort, ESET observed.

The group is "relentless," rapidly evolving, and nimble, ESET warned.

"The operators write and rewrite their toolset as needed by their operations and
react rather quickly to keep avoiding detection," ESET added. "This group's goal
is to harvest as many files as possible and it develops specific components to
that end."

The Chinese government uses APT groups like Mustang Panda and CeranaKeeper to
support government activities through espionage and other cybercrimes.

Read more about:

DR Global Asia Pacific



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

See more from Dark Reading Staff
Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities,
data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to
your email inbox.

Subscribe

You May Also Like

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Chinese 'Tropic Trooper' APT Targets Mideast Governments
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

City of Columbus Sues Researcher After Ransomware Attack
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

'0.0.0.0 Day' Flaw Puts Chrome, Firefox, Mozilla Browsers at RCE Risk
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches

Hunters International Masks SharpRhino RAT as Legit Network Admin Tool
More Insights
Webinars

 * Harnessing the Power of Automation to Boost Enterprise Cybersecurity
   
   Oct 3, 2024

 * DevSecOps/AWS
   
   Oct 17, 2024

 * Social Engineering: New Tricks, New Threats, New Defenses
   
   Oct 23, 2024

 * 10 Emerging Vulnerabilities Every Enterprise Should Know
   
   Oct 30, 2024

 * Simplify Data Security with Automation
   
   Oct 31, 2024

More Webinars
Events

 * State of AI in Cybersecurity: Beyond the Hype
   
   Oct 30, 2024

 * [Virtual Event] The Essential Guide to Cloud Management
   
   Oct 17, 2024

 * Black Hat Europe - December 9-12 - Learn More
   
   Dec 10, 2024

 * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 22-24 - Learn More
   
   Oct 22, 2024

More Events



EDITOR'S CHOICE

profile of a human head rendered in computer chip patterns
Cyber Risk
Shadow AI, Data Exposure Plague Workplace Chatbot UseShadow AI, Data Exposure
Plague Workplace Chatbot Use
byTara Seals, Managing Editor, News, Dark Reading
Sep 30, 2024
6 Min Read
Seven pawns; one is blue and in front of the others
Cyberattacks & Data Breaches
Top Allies for Executives & Boards to Leverage During a Cyber CrisisTop Allies
for Executives & Boards to Leverage During a Cyber Crisis
byChris Crummey
Sep 27, 2024
5 Min Read
Screen covered with multi-colored postits, each one with a password written on
it.
Identity & Access Management Security
NIST Drops Password Complexity, Mandatory Reset RulesNIST Drops Password
Complexity, Mandatory Reset Rules
byEdge Editors
Sep 25, 2024
2 Min Read
Reports

 * Managing Third-Party Risk Through Situational Awareness

 * 2024 InformationWeek US IT Salary Report

More Reports

Webinars

 * Harnessing the Power of Automation to Boost Enterprise Cybersecurity
   
   Oct 3, 2024

 * DevSecOps/AWS
   
   Oct 17, 2024

 * Social Engineering: New Tricks, New Threats, New Defenses
   
   Oct 23, 2024

 * 10 Emerging Vulnerabilities Every Enterprise Should Know
   
   Oct 30, 2024

 * Simplify Data Security with Automation
   
   Oct 31, 2024

More Webinars
White Papers

 * 2024 Cloud Security Report

 * Evolve Your Ransomware Defense

 * RevealX Catches Ransomware Within Days of Deployment at WCH

 * A CISO's Guide to Geopolitics and CyberSecurity

 * SecOps Checklist

More Whitepapers
Events

 * State of AI in Cybersecurity: Beyond the Hype
   
   Oct 30, 2024

 * [Virtual Event] The Essential Guide to Cloud Management
   
   Oct 17, 2024

 * Black Hat Europe - December 9-12 - Learn More
   
   Dec 10, 2024

 * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 22-24 - Learn More
   
   Oct 22, 2024

More Events

DISCOVER MORE WITH INFORMA TECH

Black HatOmdia

WORKING WITH US

About UsAdvertiseReprints

JOIN US


Newsletter Sign-Up

FOLLOW US



Copyright © 2024 Informa PLC Informa UK Limited is a company registered in
England and Wales with company number 1072954 whose registered office is 5
Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.

Home|Cookie Policy|Privacy|Terms of Use
Cookies Button


WE CARE ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We and our 855 partners store and/or access information on a device, such as
unique IDs in cookies to process personal data. You may accept or manage your
choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate
interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. These choices will
be signaled to our partners and will not affect browsing data.Privacy Policy


WE AND OUR PARTNERS PROCESS DATA TO PROVIDE:

Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for
identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised
advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research
and services development. List of Partners (vendors)

I Accept
Essential Only
Show Purposes



ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY

We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the
delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our
website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent and
legitimate interest. You may exercise your right to consent or object to a
legitimate interest, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in
the link under each purpose. These choices will be signaled to our vendors
participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
More information
Allow All


MANAGE CONSENT PREFERENCES

PERFORMANCE COOKIES

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and
improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the
most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.    All
information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you
do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and
will not be able to monitor its performance.

Cookies Details‎

FUNCTIONAL COOKIES

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and
personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose
services we have added to our pages.    If you do not allow these cookies then
some or all of these services may not function properly.

Cookies Details‎

STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES

Always Active

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched
off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you
which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy
preferences, logging in or filling in forms.    You can set your browser to
block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then
work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Cookies Details‎

TARGETING COOKIES

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may
be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you
relevant adverts on other sites.    They do not store directly personal
information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet
device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted
advertising.

Cookies Details‎

STORE AND/OR ACCESS INFORMATION ON A DEVICE 691 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Store and/or access information on a device

Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers,
randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other
information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported
technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each
time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes
presented here.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

PERSONALISED ADVERTISING AND CONTENT, ADVERTISING AND CONTENT MEASUREMENT,
AUDIENCE RESEARCH AND SERVICES DEVELOPMENT 820 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE

Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement,
audience research and services development

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT ADVERTISING 631 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data,
   such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your
   device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for
   example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * CREATE PROFILES FOR PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 506 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit,
   content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about
   you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and
   other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and
   personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present
   advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by
   this and other entities.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED ADVERTISING 503 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS
   PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising
   profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites
   or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests
   and personal aspects.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * CREATE PROFILES TO PERSONALISE CONTENT 224 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you
   submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with
   other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service
   or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or
   improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible
   interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to
   present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests,
   such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is
   even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * USE PROFILES TO SELECT PERSONALISED CONTENT 198 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content
   personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other
   services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible
   interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the
   order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to
   find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
   
   View Illustrations 

 * MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE 736 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you
   interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for
   you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For
   instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led
   you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to
   understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * MEASURE CONTENT PERFORMANCE 369 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact
   with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g.
   reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance,
   whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a
   product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you
   visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of
   (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * UNDERSTAND AUDIENCES THROUGH STATISTICS OR COMBINATIONS OF DATA FROM
   DIFFERENT SOURCES 463 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user
   profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your
   interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising)
   content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which
   target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain
   contents).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * DEVELOP AND IMPROVE SERVICES 551 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction
   with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and
   to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of
   audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or
   improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

 * USE LIMITED DATA TO SELECT CONTENT 135 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS PURPOSE
   
   Switch Label
   
   Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such
   as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device
   type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example,
   to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
   
   View Illustrations 
   Object to Legitimate Interests Remove Objection

List of IAB Vendors‎

USE PRECISE GEOLOCATION DATA 262 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS SPECIAL FEATURE

Use precise geolocation data

With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500
metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

ACTIVELY SCAN DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS FOR IDENTIFICATION 126 PARTNERS CAN USE
THIS SPECIAL FEATURE

Actively scan device characteristics for identification

With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be
requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed
fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes
explained in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

ENSURE SECURITY, PREVENT AND DETECT FRAUD, AND FIX ERRORS 522 PARTNERS CAN USE
THIS SPECIAL PURPOSE

Always Active

Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent
activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure
systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct
any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery
of content and ads and in your interaction with them.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

DELIVER AND PRESENT ADVERTISING AND CONTENT 525 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS SPECIAL
PURPOSE

Always Active

Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to
ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to
facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.

List of IAB Vendors‎ | View Illustrations 

MATCH AND COMBINE DATA FROM OTHER DATA SOURCES 369 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with
other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for
instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card
in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in
this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎

LINK DIFFERENT DEVICES 334 PARTNERS CAN USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be
considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your
household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both
your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet
connection on both devices).

List of IAB Vendors‎

IDENTIFY DEVICES BASED ON INFORMATION TRANSMITTED AUTOMATICALLY 502 PARTNERS CAN
USE THIS FEATURE

Always Active

Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it
automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of
your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the
purposes exposed in this notice.

List of IAB Vendors‎
Back Button


COOKIE LIST



Search Icon
Filter Icon

Clear
checkbox label label
Apply Cancel
Consent Leg.Interest
checkbox label label
checkbox label label
checkbox label label

Confirm My Choices