Researchers identified a new cyber espionage campaign of a china-linked threat actor dubbed “UNK_SweetSpecter,” who uses it to harvest generative artificial intelligence (AI) secrets from experts in the United States.
The threat actor targets Al experts using a remote access trojan malware called SugarGh0st. The RAT infiltrates the systems of a highly selective list of AI experts from different verticals such as tech companies, government agencies and academic institutions.
SugarGh0st RAT was originally reported in November 2023 but only observed in a limited number of campaigns. It is a custom variant of the Gh0st RAT, a tool that first publicly attributed to a Chinese threat group in 2008. Researchers suspect that the threat actor UNK_SweetSpecter is likely from Chinese origin.
Spear-Phishing SugarGh0st Campaign Targets Al Experts
Proofpoint researchers discovered that the targets of this campaign were all connected to a leading US-based AI organization, which were lured with very distinct AI-themed emails.
The infection chain began with a seemingly innocuous email from a free account, claiming to seek technical assistance with an AI tool. The attached zip file contained a shortcut file (LNK) that deployed a JavaScript dropper upon access. This dropper included a decoy document, an ActiveX tool for sideloading, and an encrypted binary, which was all encoded in base64.
The infection chain ended with SugarGh0st RAT being deployed on the victim’s system and communication with the attacker’s command and control server. Analysis of the attack stages revealed that the group behind the attack had shifted their C2 communications from an earlier domain to a new domain, indicating their detection evasion motives.
While the malware itself is relatively unsophisticated in it’s attack chain, the sophistication in the targeting of AI experts makes the campaign significant, the researchers noted.
The SugarGh0st RAT was previously used in targeted campaigns in Central and East Asia.
Potential Motivations, Attribution and Context
While direct attribution to a specific nation-state is difficult, researchers concluded the presence of Chinese language artifacts and the precise targeting of AI experts suggested a possible link to China-linked threat actors. The campaign also coincides with the U.S. government’s efforts to restrict Chinese access to generative AI technologies.
The new regulations established by the Biden administration would likely restrict the export of AI models, and their data from countries it deems hostile towards U.S. interests, such as Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. The Chinese Embassy labeled the action as an act of economic coercion and unilateral bullying.
Earlier in February, Microsoft stated that it had observed Chinese, Russian, North Korean and Iranian threat actors’ attempts of leveraging AI tools from the big tech AI companies like OpenAI, for their campaigns.
The report stated the Chinese threat actors used the AI tools to boost their technical prowess such as the development of tools and phishing content, while the Russian threat actors were observed researching satellite and radar technologies possibly related to the war in Ukraine.
The researchers theorize that the campaign is likely an attempt by a China-affiliated actor to harvest generative AI secrets via cyber theft in response to the regulatory efforts.
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