Russian espionage mission to subvert Ukrainian conscription uncovered by Google TAG

Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG), alongside Mandiant, has released findings connected what it suspects is simply a Russian espionage and power run designed to demotivate Ukrainian soldiers and infect devices pinch malware.

The group has been branded UNC5812, and established themselves arsenic an anti-conscription group called ‘Civil Defense’ that offered apps and package to let would-be conscripts to position real-time locations of Ukrainian subject recruiters.

However, nan applications would alternatively present malware alongside a decoy mapping exertion tracked by Google TAG and Mandiant arsenic SUNSPINNER.

Civil Defense power campaign

“The eventual purpose of nan run is to person victims navigate to nan UNC5812-controlled “Civil Defense” website, which advertises respective different package programs for different operating systems. When installed, these programs consequence successful nan download of various commodity malware families,” nan Google Threat Intelligence blog stated.

The Civil Defense website was established arsenic early arsenic April 2024, nevertheless nan Telegram relationship which granted a precocious through-put of users to nan website was only group up successful September 2024.

It is understood nan group paid for sponsored posts successful celebrated Telegram groups, 1 of which was utilized to present rocket alerts to its 80,000 subscribers.

When users were directed to nan website, they were faced pinch a prime of files aimed astatine different operating systems that nan victims expected to beryllium immoderate shape of mapping package for existent clip updates connected nan location of Ukrainian subject recruiters. Users would alternatively find their instrumentality infected pinch SUNSPINNER malware and infostealers.

The website besides offered justification for nan applications not being disposable done nan App Store, stating that by downloading nan exertion done nan website, Civil Defense would “protect nan anonymity and security” of its users from nan App Store. The website besides contained video instructions connected really to instal nan applications, and really to disable Google Play Protect.

The Civil Defense telegram page besides requested personification video submissions of “unfair actions from territorial recruitment centers,” which Civil Defense would station to heighten its anti-conscription messaging and perchance thrust much group to download nan subject recruitment monitoring app.

The SUNSPINNER app consists of a decoy GUI that shows a mapping instrumentality pinch crowdsourced marker locations for Ukrainian recruiters. While nan marker locations look to beryllium legitimate, Google TAG and Mandiant recovered that nan markers were each added by a azygous personification connected nan aforesaid day.

The malware and power run is said to still beryllium underway, pinch a sponsored station for nan group appearing successful a Ukrainian news transmission arsenic precocious arsenic October 8.

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