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A Hamas-affiliated advanced persistent threat group, tracked as Ashen Lepus (also known as WIRTE), has conducted a long-running espionage campaign targeting government and diplomatic entities across the Middle East. The group has developed and deployed a new malware suite named AshTag, delivered via updated custom loaders and leveraging advanced tactics such as enhanced payload encryption, infrastructure obfuscation using legitimate subdomains, and in-memory execution to evade detection. Notably, Ashen Lepus maintained persistent operations throughout the Israel-Hamas conflict and continued its activities even after the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, distinguishing itself from other affiliated groups whose operations diminished during this period.
The campaign has expanded its targeting beyond the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt to include Oman and Morocco, indicating a broader operational scope. Ashen Lepus, which overlaps with the Gaza Cyber Gang and is part of the Hamas cyberwarfare division, primarily focuses on espionage and intelligence collection through phishing emails themed around regional geopolitical affairs. The group’s evolving tactics and the deployment of the AshTag malware suite highlight a significant advancement in its operational security and technical sophistication, posing an ongoing threat to Middle Eastern governmental organizations.
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Unit 42 disclosed technical details on AshenLoader, AshenStager, and AshenOrchestrator, along with the group's use of HTML-hidden payloads, segmented C2 infrastructure, in-memory execution, and Rclone-based exfiltration of diplomacy-related documents.
Ashen Lepus deployed a new modular .NET malware suite dubbed AshTag, delivered through Arabic-language lure documents, PDF decoys, RAR archives, and DLL side-loading to compromise diplomatic and government targets.
The group was observed remaining active even after the October 2025 Gaza ceasefire, suggesting sustained operational capability and resilience.
Multiple sources state Ashen Lepus continued cyber-espionage operations during the Israel-Hamas conflict, unlike some other Hamas-linked groups whose activity slowed.
Recent campaigns broadened the group's victimology beyond earlier core targets to include government and diplomatic entities in Oman and Morocco, indicating wider regional reach.
Reporting indicates Ashen Lepus had become notably more sophisticated since 2020, evolving from simpler tooling to more advanced tradecraft and malware in its espionage operations.
Unit 42 and follow-on reporting describe Ashen Lepus, also known as WIRTE, as a Hamas-affiliated espionage group active since 2018 targeting Arabic-speaking government and diplomatic entities in the Middle East.
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