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:

  • PassiveNeuron: a sophisticated campaign targeting servers of high-profile organizations

    October 21, 2025

    Back in 2024, Kaspersky researchers gave a brief description of a complex cyberespionage campaign that we dubbed “PassiveNeuron”. This campaign involved compromising the servers of government organizations with previously unknown APT implants, named “Neursite” and “NeuralExecutor”. However, since its discovery, the PassiveNeuron campaign has been shrouded in mystery. For instance, it remained unclear how the implants ...

  • China accuses US of cyber breaches at national time centre

    October 20, 2025

    China has accused the U.S. of stealing secrets and infiltrating the country’s national time centre, warning that serious breaches could have disrupted communication networks, financial systems, the power supply and the international standard time. The U.S. National Security Agency has been carrying out a cyberattack operation on the National Time Service Center over an extended period ...

  • 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 ...