Careto

    SpainState-sponsoredUnknown

    Observation period

    0

    Techniques

    0

    Reports

    Latest observed activity
    No dated reports available
    First observed
    —

    Profile

    This threat actor targets governments, diplomatic missions, private companies in the energy sector, and academics for espionage purposes. The Mask is an advanced threat actor that has been involved in cyber-espionage operations since at least 2007. The name "Mask" comes from the Spanish slang word "Careto" ("Ugly Face" or “Mask”) which the authors included in some of the malware modules. More than 380 unique victims in 31 countries have been observed to date.What makes “The Mask” special is the complexity of the toolset used by the attackers. This includes an extremely sophisticated malware, a rootkit, a bootkit, 32-and 64-bit Windows versions, Mac OS X and Linux versions and possibly versions for Android and iPad/iPhone (Apple iOS).

    Relevance for Germany, Austria and Switzerland

    high

    Assessment based on target countries according to MISP Galaxy (CFR Cyber Operations Tracker).

    Target sectors according to source

    • Government
    • Private sector

    Target countries according to source Morocco, France, Libya, Venezuela, Poland, Brazil, Spain, United States, South Africa, Tunisia, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Iran, Germany

    Aliases

    • The Mask
    • Mask
    • Ugly Face

    External references

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