A clandestine cyber espionage campaign orchestrated by an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group aligned with Houthi rebels in Yemen has been uncovered, revealing a sophisticated operation spanning over five years aimed at infiltrating military entities throughout the Middle East. The group’s primary tool, “GuardZoo,” a customized Android surveillanceware derived from the notorious “Dendroid RAT,” has been meticulously crafted to exploit vulnerabilities and gather sensitive military intelligence. The campaign initiates through deceptive links disseminated via WhatsApp, enticing victims to download fake apps masquerading as legitimate military-themed applications. These include titles like “Art of War,” “Constitution of the Armed Forces,” and apps specific to organizations such as the Yemen Armed Forces and Saudi Armed Forces’ Command and Staff College.
GuardZoo’s modus operandi involves disabling local logging upon infection and systematically exfiltrating data files bearing extensions related to GPS coordinates and mapping applications. This capability enables the malware to harvest crucial tactical information, including route maps and troop movements, essential for military operations. The strategic targeting of military-related data underscores the group’s intent to acquire actionable intelligence on regional adversaries, leveraging the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East for geopolitical advantage.
Lookout, the cybersecurity firm that uncovered the operation, identified over 450 impacted IP addresses predominantly in Yemen, with additional infections observed across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Turkey, Qatar, and Oman. The discovery of GuardZoo’s command-and-control infrastructure, believed to be situated in Houthi-controlled territories, further highlights the operation’s deliberate targeting amidst regional geopolitical tensions. In response, cybersecurity experts emphasize the critical need for Android users to exercise caution by refraining from downloading apps from unofficial sources, maintaining updated device software, and diligently managing app permissions to mitigate the risk of falling prey to such targeted cyber espionage campaigns.
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