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Check Point Research reported a targeted espionage campaign in North Africa, primarily against Libyan organizations, using a previously undocumented modular Windows backdoor dubbed Stealth Soldier. The malware was built for surveillance and theft, with capabilities including file exfiltration, screenshot capture, microphone recording, keystroke logging, browser credential theft, and PowerShell-based command execution. Researchers observed several versions of the malware, from Version 6 compiled in October 2022 through Version 9 likely delivered in February 2023, indicating the operation remained under active development.
The intrusion chain used a downloader, loader, watchdog, and final payload, while command-and-control and delivery infrastructure included domains such as filestoragehub[.]live, customjvupdate[.]live, and filecloud[.]store. Check Point said the infrastructure and phishing-domain naming patterns overlap with the earlier Eye on the Nile activity, suggesting the return of the same threat actor or a closely related cluster. The broader infrastructure also included phishing domains impersonating the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs and webmail or login portals, aligning the campaign with politically motivated surveillance activity seen in prior phishing operations against civil society targets in the region, including Egyptian organizations documented by Amnesty International.
TTPs, infrastructure, and targeting history in one profile.
5 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Check Point Research disclosed an ongoing targeted espionage campaign in North Africa, primarily affecting Libyan organizations, using the previously undocumented Stealth Soldier modular Windows backdoor. The report also noted infrastructure overlaps with the earlier Eye on the Nile operation and phishing domains impersonating Libyan government and webmail brands.
Check Point assessed that the newest observed sample, Version 9, was likely delivered in February 2023. The progression from Version 6 to Version 9 suggests iterative maintenance and continued operational use.
Researchers found Stealth Soldier-related malware samples submitted to VirusTotal from Libya between November 2022 and January 2023. These submissions support the assessment that the campaign was targeting Libyan organizations during that period.
Check Point identified the oldest observed Stealth Soldier malware sample as Version 6, compiled in October 2022. This indicates the backdoor family was already in active development by that time.
Amnesty International published research on phishing attacks using third-party applications against Egyptian civil society organizations. This earlier activity is relevant as background to the later Eye on the Nile-linked infrastructure overlaps noted by Check Point.
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A likely state-backed cyberespionage campaign targeted Libyan organizations including an oil refinery, an oil company network, a telecommunications entity, and a state institution, using politically themed spear-phishing emails to deliver the `AsyncRAT` remote access trojan. Researchers said the operation ran from November 2025 to mid-February 2026, with related files suggesting activity may have begun as early as April 2025. The lures referenced Libya-specific political events, including reports about the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, indicating deliberate targeting tied to local developments. The intrusion chain used a VBS downloader, a PowerShell dropper, and persistence through a scheduled task named `devil` before deploying `AsyncRAT`, which can enable keystroke logging, screen capture, credential theft, and remote command execution. Investigators said the victimology, duration, and tradecraft point to espionage rather than financially motivated crime, and noted overlaps with prior Middle East activity linked to Iran-associated MuddyWater, though no definitive attribution was made.
Jun 29, 2026
Multiple phishing campaigns delivered **SnakeKeylogger**, **VIPKeylogger**, and **Agent Tesla** through layered infection chains that used obfuscated VBScript or PowerShell droppers, steganographic payload staging on Cloudinary, Internet Archive abuse, reflective in-memory .NET loading, and process hollowing into legitimate Windows binaries such as `Caspol.exe`, `Aspnet_compiler.exe`, and `RegAsm.exe`. One DHL-themed operation used a VIPKeylogger variant identified as a SnakeKeylogger rebrand, while a separate GuLoader campaign targeted Italian businesses with NSIS-wrapped stealers and business email compromise-style lures. Across the campaigns, the malware stole browser passwords, email and FTP credentials, Outlook and WinSCP secrets, Discord tokens, Wi-Fi passwords, screenshots, clipboard data, and keystrokes, then exfiltrated data over **SMTP**, **Telegram**, and **FTP**. Investigators found repeated operator OPSEC failures that exposed active criminal infrastructure and victim data. A VIPKeylogger/SnakeKeylogger operator left a stock **XAMPP** dashboard and internet-accessible **WinRM** open on `144.172.105.88`, while sandboxing captured plaintext SMTP credentials tied to `result@miniorangeman.com` on `185.196.9.150`; although that C2 was taken offline shortly after detection, the Cloudinary-hosted payload and SMTP infrastructure reportedly remained live. In a separate GuLoader operation, an open FTP directory on `holzbrenzii[.]com` exposed **52 credential dumps from 27 victim machines** in real time. Another SnakeKeylogger v4.4 campaign linked distinct droppers to the same backend through shared C2 strings, DDNS infrastructure, and staging artifacts, showing that technically capable malware operators repeatedly undermined their own campaigns by exposing panels, credentials, and stolen data.
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Check Point Research reported on **The Eye on the Nile**, an espionage campaign targeting organizations in the Middle East, with activity linked to surveillance and intelligence collection against regional victims. The operation was presented as a coordinated intrusion set focused on harvesting sensitive information from selected targets rather than causing disruptive or destructive effects. The report described a threat actor using tailored malware and targeted delivery methods to compromise victims and maintain access for data collection. The campaign highlighted the continued use of regionally focused cyber-espionage operations against government and other strategic entities, underscoring the risk posed by persistent actors seeking long-term visibility into victim networks and communications.
Jul 12, 2026