In cooperation with external partners, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) observed a Russia state-sponsored cyber threat actor impersonating the U.S. Department of State.
From at least April through early June 2025, this actor targeted prominent academics and critics of Russia, often using extensive rapport building and tailored lures to convince the target to set up application specific passwords (ASPs). Once the target shares the ASP passcode, the attackers establish persistent access to the victim’s mailbox. Two distinct campaigns are detailed in this post. This activity aligns with Citizen Lab’s recent research on social engineering attacks against ASPs, another useful resource for high risk users. GTIG tracks this activity as UNC6293, a likely Russia state-sponsored cyber actor we assess with low confidence is associated with APT29 / ICECAP.
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Source: Google Threat Intelligence Group
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