Inception Framework
Also known as Clean Ursa, Cloud Atlas, OXYGEN, G0100, ATK116, Blue Odin, Inception
This threat actor uses spear-phishing techniques to target private-sector energy, defense, aerospace, research, and media organizations and embassies in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, for the purpose of espionage.
Targets: Government, Private sector, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, India, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia
CVEs in recent coverage
No CVEs named alongside this actor in the last 90 days.
Recent victims
No leak-site posts on record for this group.
ATT&CK techniques
Recent activity
No posts or advisories have named this actor recently.
References
- https://www.cfr.org/interactive/cyber-operations/inception-framework
- https://web.archive.org/web/20160710180729/https://www.bluecoat.com/security-blog/2014-12-09/blue-coat-exposes-%E2%80%9C-inception-framework%E2%80%9D-very-sophisticated-layered-malware
- https://paper.seebug.org/papers/APT/APT_CyberCriminal_Campagin/2015/Inception_APT_Analysis_Bluecoat.pdf
- https://logrhythm.com/blog/catching-the-inception-framework-phishing-attack
- https://paper.seebug.org/papers/APT/APT_CyberCriminal_Campagin/2014/bcs_wp_InceptionReport_EN_v12914.pdf
- https://securelist.com/the-red-october-campaign/57647
- https://securelist.com/red-october-diplomatic-cyber-attacks-investigation/36740
- https://securelist.com/red-october-part-two-the-modules/57645
- https://securelist.com/cloud-atlas-redoctober-apt-is-back-in-style/68083
- https://securelist.com/an-undocumented-word-feature-abused-by-attackers/81899
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-inception-attackers-target-europe-year-old-office-vulnerability
- https://securelist.com/recent-cloud-atlas-activity/92016
From the MISP threat-actor galaxy, MITRE ATT&CK and RansomLook (CC BY 4.0). Activity is any post or advisory Watch Floor collected that names the actor or one of its aliases.