Russia-linked hackers targeting European diplomats with invites to bogus wine tasting events

A Russia-linked hacking radical unleashed a caller "advanced phishing campaign" targeting European diplomats with invites to fake vino tasting events, according to a report. 

Check Point Research said the APT29 radical is trying to "impersonate a large European Ministry of Foreign Affairs to nonstop retired invitations to vino tasting events, prompting targets to click a web nexus starring to the deployment of a caller backdoor [malware] called GRAPELOADER."  

"This run appears to beryllium focused connected targeting European diplomatic entities, including non-European countries’ embassies located successful Europe," the cybersecurity steadfast said successful an advisory, noting that the emails with malicious links included taxable lines specified arsenic "Wine tasting lawsuit (update date)," "For Ambassador’s Calendar" and "Diplomatic dinner." 

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said past twelvemonth that APT29, which besides goes by the names of Midnight Blizzard, the Dukes, oregon Cozy Bear, is "a cyber espionage group, astir surely portion of the SVR, an constituent of the Russian quality services." 

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A caller phishing run is targeting European diplomats with invites to fake vino tasting events, a cybersecurity steadfast said. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)

Check Point Research said Tuesday that APT29 is "known for targeting high-profile organizations, including authorities agencies and deliberation tanks" and that "their operations alteration from targeted phishing campaigns to high-profile proviso concatenation attacks that utilize a ample array of some customized and commercialized malware." 

"Throughout the [new] campaign, the targets see aggregate European countries with a circumstantial absorption connected Ministries of Foreign Affairs, arsenic good arsenic different countries’ embassies successful Europe. In summation to the emails we’ve identified, we recovered indications of constricted targeting extracurricular of Europe, including of diplomats based successful the Middle East," it besides said. 

Check Point Research said the phishing attacks started successful January of this year. 

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Check Point Research said the APT29 radical is trying to "impersonate a large European overseas affairs ministry to administer fake invitations to diplomatic events – astir commonly, vino tasting events." (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

"In cases wherever the archetypal effort was unsuccessful, further waves of emails were sent to summation the likelihood of getting the unfortunate to click the nexus and compromise his machine," it added. 

"The server hosting the nexus is believed to beryllium highly protected against scanning and automated investigation solutions, with the malicious download triggered lone nether definite conditions, specified arsenic circumstantial times oregon geographic locations. When accessed directly, the nexus redirects to the authoritative website of the impersonated Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the steadfast continued. 

The malacious emails had taxable lines including "Wine Event," according to Check Point Research. (iStock)

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It is unclear if immoderate of the phishing attacks were successful.