4 malware familiesExploits CVEs in the wild

DarkHydrus

Also known asDarkHydrus

DarkHydrus is a threat actor known for spearphishing-based intrusion activity. Reported tradecraft includes sending spearphishing emails with password-protected RAR archives containing malicious Excel Web Query (.iqy) files, as well as malicious Microsoft Office documents that use the attachedTemplate technique to load a template from a remote server. The group has relied on user interaction, including requiring victims to click Enable in Microsoft Excel to allow an .iqy file to be downloaded. DarkHydrus has leveraged PowerShell to download and execute additional scripts and has used PowerShell with -WindowStyle Hidden to conceal PowerShell windows. The group has also obtained and used tools including Mimikatz, Empire, and Cobalt Strike. The provided content associates DarkHydrus with ATT&CK techniques including T1059.001 (PowerShell), T1129 (Shared Modules), and T1204.002 (Malicious File Execution).

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MITRE ATT&CK

Tradecraft

32 distinct techniques observed across reporting, grouped by tactic. Hover any cell for the evidence excerpt; click through for MITRE's full description.

13 of 15 tactics47 techniques×N= number of intelligence reports citing this technique

MITRE ATT&CK

TA0043

Reconnaissance

1 technique

T1592

Gather Victim Host Information

TA0042

Resource Development

2 techniques

T1588

Obtain Capabilities

T1588.002×4

Tool

T1608

Stage Capabilities

TA0001

Initial Access

1 technique

T1566

Phishing

T1566.001×23

Spearphishing Attachment

T1566.002×4

Spearphishing Link

TA0002

Execution

4 techniques

T1059

Command and Scripting Interpreter

T1059.001×26

PowerShell

T1059.007

JavaScript

T1129

Shared Modules

T1204

User Execution

T1204.001

Malicious Link

T1204.002×9

Malicious File

T1574

Hijack Execution Flow

TA0003

Persistence

1 technique

T1546

Event Triggered Execution

T1546.015

Component Object Model Hijacking

TA0004

Privilege Escalation

2 techniques

T1055

Process Injection

T1546

Event Triggered Execution

T1546.015

Component Object Model Hijacking

TA0005

Stealth

6 techniques

T1027

Obfuscated Files or Information

T1027.005

Indicator Removal from Tools

T1036

Masquerading

T1036.008

Masquerade File Type

T1055

Process Injection

T1221

Template Injection

T1564

Hide Artifacts

T1564.003×3

Hidden Window

T1564.006×2

Run Virtual Instance

T1574

Hijack Execution Flow

TA0006

Credential Access

3 techniques

T1003×2

OS Credential Dumping

T1187×2

Forced Authentication

T1557

Adversary-in-the-Middle

T1557.001×2

Name Resolution Poisoning and SMB Relay

TA0007

Discovery

4 techniques

T1012

Query Registry

T1087

Account Discovery

T1087.002

Domain Account

T1482

Domain Trust Discovery

T1518

Software Discovery

TA0008

Lateral Movement

1 technique

T1021

Remote Services

T1021.002

SMB/Windows Admin Shares

TA0009

Collection

1 technique

T1557

Adversary-in-the-Middle

T1557.001×2

Name Resolution Poisoning and SMB Relay

TA0011

Command and Control

2 techniques

T1071

Application Layer Protocol

T1071.004

DNS

T1105×2

Ingress Tool Transfer

TA0040

Impact

1 technique

T1531

Account Access Removal

ARSENAL

Associated malware families

4 malware families attributed to this actor across reporting.

FamilyContextEvidenceLast seen

Cobalt StrikeAPT29 has obtained and used a variety of tools including Mimikatz, SDelete, Tor, meek, and Cobalt Strike.2May 26, 2026

EmpireAPT19 has obtained and used publicly-available tools like Empire.1May 26, 2026

MimikatzAPT28 has obtained and used open-source tools like Koadic, Mimikatz, and Responder.1May 26, 2026

NishangThe following analytic detects the use of the Nishang Invoke-PowerShellTCPOneLine utility, which initiates a callback to a remote Command and Control (C2) server.1Mar 17, 2026

WEAPONIZED

Associated vulnerabilities

1 CVE this actor has used in observed campaigns. 1 of them exploited in the wild.

CVE-2025-9491Microsoft Windows LNK File UI Misrepresentation Remote Code Execution VulnerabilityIn the wildEvidence2

This detection identifies instances where Windows Explorer.exe spawns PowerShell or cmd.exe processes, particularly focusing on executions initiated by LNK files. This behavior is associated with the ZDI-CAN-25373 Windows shortcut zero-day vulnerability, where specially crafted LNK files are used to trigger malicious code execution through cmd.exe or powershell.exe. This technique has been actively exploited by multiple APT groups in targeted attacks through both HTTP and SMB delivery methods.

ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

20 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.

20 SOURCESView more in app

splunk researchNews

Apr 22, 2026

Detection: PowerShell PInvoke Process Injection API Chain | Splunk Security Content

Listed as a threat actor associated with the PowerShell P/Invoke process injection API chain detection and related ATT&CK techniques.

splunk researchNews

Apr 20, 2026

Detection: PowerShell Environment Variable Execution | Splunk Security Content

Listed as a threat actor associated with PowerShell execution behavior relevant to this detection analytic.

splunk researchNews

Apr 13, 2026

Detection: Windows Binary Execution from an Archive | Splunk Security Content

Listed as a threat actor associated with the malicious file execution technique detected by this analytic.

splunk researchNews

Apr 13, 2026

Detection: Windows Cobalt Strike PowerShell Loader | Splunk Security Content

Listed as a threat actor associated with use of Cobalt Strike PowerShell loader patterns.

+92 more in the timeline

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Target overlap

Match sector + geo + tech-stack targeting against your real footprint.

Tradecraft mapping32

Every observed MITRE ATT&CK technique, grouped by tactic.

Malware arsenal4

Families this actor is known to deploy, with IOCs and behavior.

Exploited CVEs1

CVEs this actor has used in known campaigns.

Detection signatures

YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.

Observables

Domains, IPs, and hashes tied to this actor, refreshed continuously.