Marbled Dust leverages zero-day in Output Messenger for regional espionage


Since April 2024, the threat actor that Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks as Marbled Dust has been observed exploiting user accounts that have not applied fixes to a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2025-27920) in the messaging app Output Messenger, a multiplatform chat software.

These exploits have resulted in collection of related user data from targets in Iraq. Microsoft Threat Intelligence assesses with high confidence that the targets of the attack are associated with the Kurdish military operating in Iraq, consistent with previously observed Marbled Dust targeting priorities. Microsoft Threat Intelligence assesses with moderate confidence that Marbled Dust conducts reconnaissance to determine whether their targets are Output Messenger users and chooses this attack vector based on that knowledge. Successful exploitation allows the threat actor to deliver multiple malicious files and exfiltrate data from targets.

Read more…
Source: Microsoft


Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.


Related:

  • ONResolver RAT Abuses TON Blockchain to Target Japan’s Hotel Industry

    June 29, 2026

    In late May 2026, suspicious emails were identified being sent to Japanese partner companies of Booking.com, with the subject line “Important: Guest Stay Review Request” (重要:ゲスト滞在レビュー依頼). In this attack, a zip file was downloaded by accessing a hyperlink to a suspicious web site, and the infection began when the user clicked a shortcut link file ...

  • Nissan says Oracle PeopleSoft break-in may have spilled payroll records, SSNs

    June 29, 2026

    Nissan has joined the growing list of Oracle customers cleaning up after a cyberattack, warning employees that payroll records, bank details, Social Security numbers, and other personal data may have been stolen. In a filing submitted to the California Attorney General on Friday, Nissan Americas said Oracle had informed it of “a cyber event” involving the personnel records ...

  • Fake GTA VI beta keys are already draining cryptocurrency wallets worldwide

    June 27, 2026

    Grand Theft Auto VI is not due on consoles until November 19 2026, but official preorders open soon, and cybersecurity researchers have warned criminals are already exploiting the wait with a coordinated wave of fraudulent websites. Malwarebytes and NordVPN have both flagged sites promising “VIP early access” or exclusive beta keys to one of gaming’s most anticipated ...

  • Russian Intelligence Services Continue to Target Commercial Messaging Applications

    June 26, 2026

    The FBI and CISA are issuing this update to the March 20, 2026, Public Service Announcement I-032026-PSA to provide additional information to the public and encourage device owners to take actions to protect themselves. The FBI has identified multiple clusters of Russian Intelligence Services (RIS) cyber threat actors responsible for an ongoing commercial messaging application (CMA) phishing campaign against individuals of high ...

  • Russian hackers were behind $2.5B hack of Jaguar Land Rover

    June 26, 2026

    Last year, hackers attacked car giant Jaguar Land Rover (JPL), one of the U.K.’s biggest employers. The hack halted production for months and made a dent in the country’s economy. The damage was so severe that the U.K. government decided to bail out the company with a £1.5 billion (around $2 billion) payment, and estimates say the hack cost the British ...

  • Beware of the license manager: how a Schneider Electric software vulnerability puts industrial facilities at risk

    June 26, 2026

    The CVE-2024-2658 vulnerability was discovered in 2024 within the FlexNet Publisher component of the Schneider Electric Floating License Manager. This software handles license management across various Schneider Electric products used for comprehensive industrial automation ranging from PLC programming to centralized control room implementation. This vulnerability is a CWE-427: Uncontrolled Search Path Element issue. It stems from a system ...