The threat actor known as ToddyCat has been engaging in extensive cyber espionage operations primarily targeting government and defense-related organizations within the Asia-Pacific region. As observed by the cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, ToddyCat has developed and utilized a complex arsenal of tools to automate the theft of data on an industrial scale. The group’s methods enable them to harvest vast volumes of data from multiple hosts, employing several means to maintain continuous access and control over the compromised systems.
ToddyCat’s activities were first documented in June 2022, but their attacks date back to at least December 2020. These attacks are notable for the deployment of a passive backdoor named Samurai, which facilitates remote access to compromised hosts. Over time, further investigation into ToddyCat’s operations has revealed the use of additional sophisticated tools such as LoFiSe and Pcexter, which are designed for gathering and uploading data to platforms like Microsoft OneDrive.
In their attacks, ToddyCat employs a variety of data tunneling and gathering software after securing access to privileged user accounts. Tools such as reverse SSH tunnels using OpenSSH, SoftEther VPN disguised as benign files, and Ngrok for encrypting and redirecting command-and-control traffic exemplify the group’s method to ensure persistence and stealth in their operations. These tools enable the actor to maintain multiple simultaneous connections from the infected endpoints to their controlled infrastructure, acting as a fallback mechanism and helping retain access even if one of the tunnels is discovered and disrupted.
Kaspersky’s analysis also highlights ToddyCat’s active use of techniques to bypass defensive measures and obscure their presence within the systems they target. The security firm recommends implementing stringent security measures including adding suspicious cloud service IPs to firewall denylists and advising users against storing passwords in browsers. These steps are crucial for organizations to protect themselves against such sophisticated and persistent cyber threats.
