APT29
APT29 has had many aliases in the past years: IRON RITUAL, IRON HEMLOCK, NobleBaron, Dark Halo, StellarParticle, NOBELIUM, UNC2452, YTTRIUM, The Dukes, Cozy Bear, CozyDuke, SolarStorm, Blue Kitsune, UNC3524, Cloaked Ursa and more recently Midnight Blizzard. But who are they and how do they operate? Let’s figure this out to best protect your company from them.
The Origin of APT29
APT29 is believed to be affiliated with the Russian government’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), indicating state-sponsored cyber activities.
The group is known for its technical discipline, sophistication, and ability to adapt to defensive IT security tactics.
APT29 has been active since 2008, with significant operations including breaching the Pentagon’s network, compromising the Democratic National Committee servers, and conducting vulnerability scanning of public-facing IP addresses.
APT29 is believed to be responsible for the SolarWinds Compromise in 2021 and for the attack on Microsoft in January 2024.
Image: Raymond Andrè Hagen
Targets
APT29's Targets
Countries targeted by APT29
APT29 targets government networks in Europe and NATO member countries, where it engages in cyber espionage against firms and think tanks.
Source: MITRE & SOCradar
Industries Targeted by APT29
APT29 primary targets include governments, political organizations, research firms, and critical industries such as Energy, healthcare, education, finance and technology.
Industries Targeted by APT29
APT29 primary targets include governments, political organizations, research firms, and critical industries such as Energy, healthcare, education, finance and technology.
Attack Method
APT29’s Attack Method
APT29 exploits vulnerabilities in public-facing applications and engages in spearphishing with malicious links or attachments to gain entry into target networks.
They have also compromised IT and managed service providers to leverage trusted relationships for broader access.
The group employs techniques to bypass User Account Control (UAC) and exploit software vulnerabilities for elevated privileges.
This enables them to execute code with higher levels of access, critical for their operations' depth and stealth.
APT29 is adept at disabling or modifying security tools and firewall settings to remain undetected.
They use obfuscation techniques, including software packing and masquerading malicious files with legitimate names, to hide their presence and activities.
The group uses various methods to access and manipulate accounts and credentials, including brute force attacks and stealing credentials from browsers or through password dumping.
They manipulate cloud and email accounts to maintain access and control over resources.
APT29 conducts extensive discovery operations using tools and scripts to gather information about network configurations, domain accounts, and internal resources.
This includes enumerating remote systems, domain groups, and permission groups to identify valuable targets.
Using compromised credentials and manipulating account permissions, APT29 moves across networks and accesses restricted areas.
They leverage remote services, proxy techniques, and administrative accounts for seamless navigation of compromised environments.
The group targets sensitive information repositories, email accounts, and local system data for extraction.
They employ methods to stage, compress, and secure data for exfiltration, focusing on valuable intelligence and proprietary information.
APT29 executes commands and payloads across compromised networks using various scripting interpreters and command-line utilities.
They utilize remote services and scheduled tasks to deploy malware and further their control within networks.
Data is exfiltrated over encrypted channels, using methods to ensure secure transfer of stolen data out of the network.
APT29 stages data in password-protected archives and uses web protocols for data transfer, emphasizing stealth and security.
The group's activities can lead to significant data theft, espionage, and potential disruption of critical systems.
By altering domain trust settings and deploying malware that manipulates or encrypts data, APT29 undermines system integrity and availability, posing severe risks to national security and organizational operations.
Initial Access
APT29 exploits vulnerabilities in public-facing applications and engages in spearphishing with malicious links or attachments to gain entry into target networks.
They have also compromised IT and managed service providers to leverage trusted relationships for broader access.
Privilege Escalation
The group employs techniques to bypass User Account Control (UAC) and exploit software vulnerabilities for elevated privileges.
This enables them to execute code with higher levels of access, critical for their operations' depth and stealth.
Defense Evasion
APT29 is adept at disabling or modifying security tools and firewall settings to remain undetected.
They use obfuscation techniques, including software packing and masquerading malicious files with legitimate names, to hide their presence and activities.
Credential Access
The group uses various methods to access and manipulate accounts and credentials, including brute force attacks and stealing credentials from browsers or through password dumping.
They manipulate cloud and email accounts to maintain access and control over resources.
Discovery
APT29 conducts extensive discovery operations using tools and scripts to gather information about network configurations, domain accounts, and internal resources.
This includes enumerating remote systems, domain groups, and permission groups to identify valuable targets.
Lateral Movement
Using compromised credentials and manipulating account permissions, APT29 moves across networks and accesses restricted areas.
They leverage remote services, proxy techniques, and administrative accounts for seamless navigation of compromised environments.
Collection
The group targets sensitive information repositories, email accounts, and local system data for extraction.
They employ methods to stage, compress, and secure data for exfiltration, focusing on valuable intelligence and proprietary information.
Execution
APT29 executes commands and payloads across compromised networks using various scripting interpreters and command-line utilities.
They utilize remote services and scheduled tasks to deploy malware and further their control within networks.
Exfiltration
Data is exfiltrated over encrypted channels, using methods to ensure secure transfer of stolen data out of the network.
APT29 stages data in password-protected archives and uses web protocols for data transfer, emphasizing stealth and security.
Impact
The group's activities can lead to significant data theft, espionage, and potential disruption of critical systems.
By altering domain trust settings and deploying malware that manipulates or encrypts data, APT29 undermines system integrity and availability, posing severe risks to national security and organizational operations.
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
TTPs used by APT29
TA0001: Initial Access
T1195
Supply Chain Compromise
T1566
Phishing
T1190
Exploit Public-Facing Application
T1133
External Remote Services
T1078
Valid Accounts
TA0002: Execution
T1651
Cloud Administration Command
T1204
User Execution
T1203
Exploitation for Client Execution
T1059
Command and Scripting Interpreter
T1047
Windows Management Instrumentation
TA0003: Persistence
T1505
Server Software Component
T1547
Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
T1546
Event Triggered Execution
T1556
Modify Authentication Process
T1136
Create Account
T1098
Account Manipulation
T1078
Valid Accounts
T1053
Scheduled Task/Job
TA0004: Privilege Escalation
T1548
Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
T1068
Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
T1547
Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
T1546
Event Triggered Execution
T1484
Group Policy Modification
T1078
Valid Accounts
T1053
Scheduled Task/Job
T1037
Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
TA0005: Defense Evasion
T1553
Subvert Trust Controls
T1218
System Binary Proxy Execution
T1140
Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
T1548
Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
T1036
Masquerading
T1027
Obfuscated Files or Information
T1070
Indicator Removal
T1562
Impair Defenses
T1550
Use Alternate Authentication Material
T1556
Modify Authentication Process
T1484
Group Policy Modification
T1078
Valid Accounts
TA0006: Credential Access
T1649
Steal or Forge Authentication Certificates
T1621
Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation
T1606
Forge Web Credentials
T1558
Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets
T1539
Steal Web Session Cookie
T1556
Modify Authentication Process
T1555
Credentials from Password Stores
T1552
Unsecured Credentials
T1110
Brute Force
T1003
OS Credential Dumping
TA0007: Discovery
T1482
Domain Trust Discovery
T1087
Account Discovery
T1083
File and Directory Discovery
T1082
System Information Discovery
T1069
Permission Groups Discovery
T1057
Process Discovery
T1016
System Network Configuration Discovery
T1018
Remote System Discovery
TA0008: Lateral Movement
T1550
Use Alternate Authentication Material
T1021
Remote Services
TA0009: Collection
T1560
Archive Collected Data
T1213
Data from Information Repositories
T1114
Email Collection
T1074
Data Staged
T1005
Data from Local System
TA0011: Command and Control
T1102
Web Service
T1573
Encrypted Channel
T1568
Dynamic Resolution
T1105
Ingress Tool Transfer
T1090
Proxy
T1071
Application Layer Protocol
T1001
Data Obfuscation
TA0010: Exfiltration
T1048
Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol
TA0040: Impact
No items found.
Platform Detections
How to Detect APT29 with Vectra AI
FAQs
How can organizations detect APT29's activities?
Detecting APT29 requires advanced threat detection solutions capable of identifying subtle signs of compromise. An AI-driven threat detection platform like Vectra AI can help uncover hidden patterns and malicious behaviors characteristic of APT29 operations.
What industries are most at risk from APT29?
APT29 targets a broad spectrum of industries, with a particular focus on government, diplomatic, think tank, healthcare, and energy sectors. Organizations within these sectors should be especially vigilant.
How does APT29 gain initial access to networks?
APT29 commonly uses spearphishing with malicious attachments or links, exploits vulnerabilities in public-facing applications, and leverages compromised credentials to gain initial access to targeted networks.
What should be included in a response plan to an APT29 intrusion?
A response plan should include immediate isolation of affected systems, thorough investigation to determine the scope of the breach, eradication of the threat actors' tools and access, and a comprehensive review to enhance security postures and prevent future breaches.
How does APT29 maintain persistence within a compromised network?
APT29 uses techniques like adding registry keys for autostart execution, hijacking legitimate scripts, and creating web shells on compromised servers to maintain persistence.
Are there any specific tools or malware associated with APT29?
APT29 is known to use a variety of custom tools and malware, including but not limited to SUNBURST, TEARDROP, and malware written in Python. They also use tools like Mimikatz for credential theft.
What is the best strategy to protect against APT29?
Protecting against APT29 involves a multi-layered security strategy that includes regular patching of vulnerabilities, robust endpoint protection, employee training on phishing awareness, and the deployment of advanced threat detection and response tools.
Can APT29's activities be attributed to specific cyber campaigns?
Yes, APT29 has been linked to several high-profile cyber espionage campaigns, including the SolarWinds Orion software supply chain compromise. They have consistently targeted entities that align with the strategic interests of the Russian government.
How does APT29 evade detection and what can be done to counteract these techniques?
APT29 uses a variety of defense evasion techniques, such as disabling security tools, obfuscating their malware, and utilizing encrypted channels for communication. Countermeasures include employing AI-driven threat detection platforms that can detect and respond to subtle and complex threat behaviors, enhancing visibility across the network, and continuous monitoring for anomalous activity.
What are the implications of an APT29 breach?
An APT29 breach can lead to significant intelligence and data loss, espionage, and potential disruption of critical infrastructures. Organizations impacted by APT29 face reputational damage, financial loss, and the potential compromise of sensitive national security information.