APT40 tactics and indicators from indicted MSS actors
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CISA and FBI release TTPs and IOCs for APT40, a Chinese MSS-affiliated group actively targeting US and allied organizations since 2009.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a joint advisory on APT40, a Chinese Advanced Persistent Threat group based in Haikou, Hainan Province, and associated with China's Ministry of State Security Hainan State Security Department. On July 19, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against four APT40 actors for computer network exploitation activities conducted through the front company Hainan Xiandun Technology Development Company. The group has been active since at least 2009 and has targeted a broad range of sectors including academia, aerospace, biomedical, defense, government, healthcare, manufacturing, maritime, research institutes, and transportation across the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and the South China Sea region.
APT40 exploits vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems, establishes initial access via user and administrator credentials, performs lateral movement within networks, and exfiltrates high-value intellectual property, trade secrets, and sensitive information. The advisory provides comprehensive tactics and techniques aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework, along with indicators of compromise including malicious domains, file names, and malware MD5 hashes spanning 2009 through 2018. Defenders are advised to implement defense-in-depth strategies including rigorous patch management, credential protection, multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and enhanced monitoring of DNS queries, administrative commands, and anomalous access patterns.
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Source reporting: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa21-200a
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