SugarGh0st RAT Used to Target American Artificial Intelligence Experts


Proofpoint recently identified a SugarGh0st RAT campaign targeting organizations in the United States involved in artificial intelligence efforts, including those in academia, private industry, and government service.

Proofpoint tracks the cluster responsible for this activity as UNK_SweetSpecter. SugarGh0st RAT is a remote access trojan, and is a customized variant of Gh0stRAT, an older commodity trojan typically used by Chinese-speaking threat actors. SugarGh0st RAT has been historically used to target users in Central and East Asia, as first reported by Cisco Talos in November 2023.

Read more…
Source: ProofPoint


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • UK MoD investigating claims Russian hackers stole files on RAF and Navy bases

    October 19, 2025

    The Ministry of Defence is investigating claims that Russian hackers have stolen hundreds of sensitive military documents and published them on the dark web. The files hold details of eight RAF and Royal Navy bases as well as Ministry of Defence staff names and emails, The Mail On Sunday reported. Cybercriminals accessed the cache of files ...

  • Spyware maker NSO Group confirms acquisition by US investors

    October 10, 2025

    Israeli spyware maker NSO Group has confirmed to TechCrunch that a U.S. investment group has acquired the company. NSO spokesperson Oded Hershowitz told TechCrunch on Friday that “an American investment group has invested tens of millions of dollars in the company and has acquired controlling ownership. ” Confirmation of the deal came soon after Israeli tech ...

  • ClayRat Android malware spoofs WhatsApp, TikTok and more

    October 10, 2025

    A new Android malware variant is posing as popular apps, stealing sensitive files and propagating further. Experts from Zimperium revealed ClayRat, targeting primarily Russian users by spoofing popular Android apps such as WhatsApp, TikTok, Google Photos, or YouTube, distributed mostly through Telegram channels and standalone phishing sites. Through typosquatting, the phishing sites trick victims into thinking ...

  • Cavalry Werewolf raids Russia’s public sector with trusted relationship attacks

    October 2, 2025

    BI.ZONE Threat Intelligence recorded Cavalry Werewolf activity from May to August 2025. In order to gain initial access, the attackers sent out targeted phishing emails disguising them as official correspondence from Kyrgyz government officials. The main targets of the attacks were Russian state agencies, as well as energy, mining, and manufacturing enterprises. Cavalry Werewolf relied ...

  • Confucius Espionage: From Stealer to Backdoor

    October 2, 2025

    The Confucius group is a long-running cyber-espionage actor operating primarily across South Asia. First identified in 2013, the group is believed to have links to state-sponsored operations in the region. Over the past decade, Confucius has repeatedly targeted government agencies, military organizations, defense contractors, and critical industries—especially in Pakistan—using spear-phishing and malicious documents as initial access ...

  • Phantom Taurus: A New Chinese Nexus APT and the Discovery of the NET-STAR Malware Suite

    September 30, 2025

    Phantom Taurus is a previously undocumented nation-state actor whose espionage operations align with People’s Republic of China (PRC) state interests. Over the past two and a half years, Unit 42 researchers have observed Phantom Taurus targeting government and telecommunications organizations across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Their observations show that Phantom Taurus’ main focus areas ...