# APT15: threat group profile

> APT15 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited. This free profile brings together what is known about it, so you can judge the risk to you. It lists the other names the group goes by and links to every public report behind it.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors/apt15
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## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Countries and victims named | 4 |
| Thought to operate from | China |
| Suspected backing | China |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 15 |
| Public reports | 14 |

## Who is APT15?

APT15 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

VIXEN PANDA, Ke3Chang, Playful Dragon, Metushy, Lurid, Social Network Team, Royal APT, BRONZE PALACE, BRONZE DAVENPORT, BRONZE IDLEWOOD, NICKEL, G0004, Red Vulture, Nylon Typhoon, Mirage

Security companies each give the same group their own name, so one group can have many.

### What public reporting says

> This threat actor uses phishing techniques to compromise the networks of foreign ministries of European countries for espionage purposes.

## Who does APT15 go after?

**Sectors:** Government

**Countries and victims named:** European Union, India, United Kingdom, Germany

See threats by industry: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/industries

## Public reports about APT15

- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2014/09/forced-to-adapt-xslcmd-backdoor-now-on-os-x.html
- http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/04/elite-cyber-crime-group-strikes-back-after-attack-by-rival-apt-gang/
- https://github.com/nccgroup/Royal_APT
- https://www.cfr.org/interactive/cyber-operations/mirage
- https://www.fireeye.com/content/dam/fireeye-www/global/en/current-threats/pdfs/wp-operation-ke3chang.pdf
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/operation-ke3chang-resurfaces-with-new-tidepool-malware/
- https://research.nccgroup.com/2018/03/10/apt15-is-alive-and-strong-an-analysis-of-royalcli-and-royaldns/
- https://www.intezer.com/miragefox-apt15-resurfaces-with-new-tools-based-on-old-ones/
- https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0004/
- https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-profiles/bronze-palace
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/insights/apt-groups
- https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/cybersecurity/cyber-threat-intelligence/cyber-year-in-retrospect/yir-cyber-threats-report-download.pdf
- https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWMFIi
- https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Unternehmen-und-Organisationen/Cyber-Sicherheitslage/Analysen-und-Prognosen/Threat-Intelligence/Aktive_APT-Gruppen/aktive-apt-gruppen_node.html

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is APT15?

APT15 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Where is APT15 thought to be based?

Public reporting places APT15 as operating from China, with suspected state backing. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### Who does APT15 target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government, and 4 countries and victims are named, including European Union, India, United Kingdom and Germany.

### How do I know if APT15 is a risk to my business?

Create an account and tell us the software you run. We match it against known flaws, including those linked to threat groups, rank each one from 0 to 100 and tell you as soon as we spot something that affects you.

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