A newly discovered malware, dubbed Sosano, has been used in an espionage campaign targeting several organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These organizations, including those involved in aviation, satellite communications, and critical transportation infrastructure, have been infiltrated by a threat group identified as UNK_CraftyCamel. This group, suspected to be aligned with Iran and possibly connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been targeting sectors that are essential for both the economic stability and national security of the UAE, which is a key player in the Middle East and often aligned with Saudi Arabia, a rival of Iran.
The attack campaign started in the fall of 2025, and the attackers used a compromised email account from Indian electronics company INDIC Electronics to send malicious emails to their victims.
These emails directed the targets to a fake website that appeared to be the Indian company’s legitimate domain, where the victims downloaded a ZIP archive containing executable files. These files, once opened, installed the Sosano backdoor, allowing the hackers to gain control over the infected machines and execute further malicious actions.
Researchers at Proofpoint have linked this attack to tactics previously used by Iranian-aligned hacking groups, such as the IRGC’s TA451 and TA455, which have a history of targeting aerospace-related organizations. However, Proofpoint differentiates UNK_CraftyCamel as a distinct threat group. The malware used in this campaign was highly customized for each target, with personalized malicious messages aimed at bypassing detection methods and evading traditional cybersecurity measures.
This method, referred to as supply chain compromise, leverages trusted relationships between organizations to gain access without raising suspicions.
This attack serves as a reminder of the lengths to which state-aligned actors are willing to go to fulfill their intelligence-gathering objectives. By leveraging business-to-business lures and compromising trusted suppliers or partners, attackers can bypass many traditional defense mechanisms. This campaign is part of a broader trend of suspected Iranian cyber activities, including earlier espionage efforts targeting the aerospace industry, which has seen similar tactics, such as the impersonation of recruiters on LinkedIn by another Iranian hacking group, TA455.
