# APT39: threat group profile

> APT39 is a threat group thought to operate from Iran. Public reporting links it to 39 attack techniques. This free profile shows how it works, stage by stage, so you can judge the risk to you. It lists the other names the group goes by and links to every public report behind it.

Canonical page: https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors/apt39
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.edgeprotect.io/) > [Threat groups](https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors) > APT39

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 39 (plus 33 sub-techniques) |
| Thought to operate from | Iran |
| Other names | 7 |
| Public reports | 10 |

## Who is APT39?

APT39 is a threat group thought to operate from Iran. Public reporting links it to 39 attack techniques.

### Also known as

Chafer, REMIX KITTEN, COBALT HICKMAN, G0087, Radio Serpens, TA454, ITG07

Security companies each give the same group their own name, so one group can have many.

### What public reporting says

> APT39 was created to bring together previous activities and methods used by this actor, and its activities largely align with a group publicly referred to as "Chafer." However, there are differences in what has been publicly reported due to the variances in how organizations track activity. APT39 primarily leverages the SEAWEED and CACHEMONEY backdoors along with a specific variant of the POWBAT backdoor. While APT39's targeting scope is global, its activities are concentrated in the Middle East. APT39 has prioritized the telecommunications sector, with additional targeting of the travel industry and IT firms that support it and the high-tech industry.

## How does APT39 attack? Stage by stage

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 39 linked to APT39. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 33 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

### 1. Research (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 2. Preparation (1)

- T1588: Obtain Capabilities

### 3. Getting in (3)

- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1190: Exploit Public-Facing Application
- T1566: Phishing

### 4. Running code (5)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter
- T1197: BITS Jobs
- T1204: User Execution
- T1569: System Services

### 5. Staying in (7)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1136: Create Account
- T1197: BITS Jobs
- T1505: Server Software Component
- T1546: Event Triggered Execution
- T1547: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution

### 6. Taking control (4)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1546: Event Triggered Execution
- T1547: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution

### 7. Hiding (6)

- T1027: Obfuscated Files or Information
- T1036: Masquerading
- T1070: Indicator Removal
- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1140: Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
- T1197: BITS Jobs

### 8. Disabling defences (1)

- T1553: Subvert Trust Controls

### 9. Stealing passwords (4)

- T1003: OS Credential Dumping
- T1056: Input Capture
- T1110: Brute Force
- T1555: Credentials from Password Stores

### 10. Looking around (6)

- T1012: Query Registry
- T1018: Remote System Discovery
- T1033: System Owner/User Discovery
- T1046: Network Service Discovery
- T1083: File and Directory Discovery
- T1135: Network Share Discovery

### 11. Spreading (1)

- T1021: Remote Services

### 12. Gathering data (6)

- T1005: Data from Local System
- T1056: Input Capture
- T1074: Data Staged
- T1113: Screen Capture
- T1115: Clipboard Data
- T1560: Archive Collected Data

### 13. Keeping contact (4)

- T1071: Application Layer Protocol
- T1090: Proxy
- T1102: Web Service
- T1105: Ingress Tool Transfer

### 14. Taking data out (1)

- T1041: Exfiltration Over C2 Channel

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Public reports about APT39

- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2019/01/apt39-iranian-cyber-espionage-group-focused-on-personal-information.html
- https://www.symantec.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/chafer-latest-attacks-reveal-heightened-ambitions
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/new-python-based-payload-mechaflounder-used-by-chafer/
- https://securelist.com/chafer-used-remexi-malware/89538/
- https://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/iran-based-attackers-use-back-door-threats-spy-middle-eastern-targets
- https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0087/
- https://go.crowdstrike.com/rs/281-OBQ-266/images/Report2020CrowdStrikeGlobalThreatReport.pdf
- https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-profiles/cobalt-hickman
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atoms/radioserpens/
- https://securityintelligence.com/posts/observations-of-itg07-cyber-operations/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is APT39?

APT39 is a threat group thought to operate from Iran. Public reporting links it to 39 attack techniques.

### Where is APT39 thought to be based?

Public reporting places APT39 as operating from Iran. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### How does APT39 attack?

Public reporting links APT39 to 39 attack techniques. Most of them are about staying in, hiding and looking around.

### How do I know if APT39 is a risk to my business?

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