TAOTH Campaign Exploits End-of-Support Software to Target Traditional Chinese Users and Dissidents


In June, Terend Micro researchers identified and investigated an unusual security incident involving the installation of two malware families, C6DOOR and GTELAM, on a victim’s host. Trend Micro investigation determined that the malware was delivered through a legitimate input method editor (IME) software, Sogou Zhuyin.

As brief explanation, an IME is a tool that interprets sequences of keystrokes into complex characters for languages not suited to a standard QWERTY keyboard (like many East Asian languages). The software had stopped receiving updates in 2019; in October 2024 attackers took over the lapsed domain name and used it to distribute malicious payloads. Telemetry data indicates that at least several hundred victims were affected, with infections leading to additional post-exploitation activities.

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Source: Trend Micro


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