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Sunday, January 19, 2025

U.S. AI Experts Targeted in SugarGh0st RAT Campaign

Researchers believe the attacker is likely China-affiliated, since a previous version of the malware was used by a China nation-state attack group.

A likely Chinese threat actor is using a recent variant of the notorious Gh0st RAT malware to try and steal information from artificial intelligence experts in US companies, government agencies, and academia.

Researchers at security vendor Proofpoint first spotted the campaign earlier this month and are tracking the previously unknown threat actor behind it as “UNK_SweetSpecter.”

In a report released on May 16, the security vendor identified the group as using an AI-themed phishing lure to distribute a remote access trojan (RAT) called SugarGh0st to a highly selective list of AI experts. “The May 2024 campaign appeared to target less than 10 individuals, all of whom appear to have a direct connection to a single leading US-based artificial intelligence organization according to open source research,” Proofpoint said.

Read the rest of the story at DARK READING.

Matt Seldon
Matt Seldon
Matt Seldon, BSc., is an Editorial Associate with HSToday. He has over 20 years of experience in writing, social media, and analytics. Matt has a degree in Computer Studies from the University of South Wales in the UK. His diverse work experience includes positions at the Department for Work and Pensions and various responsibilities for a wide variety of companies in the private sector. He has been writing and editing various blogs and online content for promotional and educational purposes in his job roles since first entering the workplace. Matt has run various social media campaigns over his career on platforms including Google, Microsoft, Facebook and LinkedIn on topics surrounding promotion and education. His educational campaigns have been on topics including charity volunteering in the public sector and personal finance goals.

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