# APT9: threat group profile

> APT9 is a threat group thought to operate from China. 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/apt9
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/) > [Threat groups](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors) > APT9

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Countries and victims named | 1 |
| Thought to operate from | China |
| Other names | 3 |
| Public reports | 6 |

## Who is APT9?

APT9 is a threat group thought to operate from China. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

NIGHTSHADE PANDA, Red Pegasus, Group 27

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

### What public reporting says

> APT9 engages in cyber operations where the goal is data theft, usually focusing on the data and projects that make a particular organization competitive within its field. APT9 was historically very active in the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology industry. We have observed this actor use spearphishing, valid accounts, as well as remote services for Initial Access. On at least one occasion, Mandiant observed APT9 at two companies in the biotechnology industry and suspect that APT9 actors may have gained initial access to one of the companies by using a trusted relationship between the two companies. APT9 use a wide range of backdoors, including publicly available backdoors, as well as backdoors that are believed to be custom, but are used by multiple APT groups.

## Who does APT9 go after?

**Sectors:** Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Construction, Aerospace, Defense industrial base

**Countries and victims named:** United States

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

## Public reports about APT9

- https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/55bbc68e67db8c2d547ae393
- https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/cybersecurity/cyber-threat-intelligence/cyber-year-in-retrospect/yir-cyber-threats-report-download.pdf
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/insights/apt-groups
- https://app.box.com/s/z1uanuv1vn3vw5iket1r6bqrmlra0gpn
- https://news.softpedia.com/news/trochilus-rat-evades-antivirus-detection-used-for-cyber-espionage-in-south-east-asia-498776.shtml
- https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-trochilus-rat-new-moonwind-rat-used-attack-thai-utility-organizations/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is APT9?

APT9 is a threat group thought to operate from China. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Where is APT9 thought to be based?

Public reporting places APT9 as operating from China. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### Who does APT9 target?

In public reporting, sectors named include pharmaceuticals, healthcare, construction, aerospace and defense industrial base, and 1 countries and victims are named, including United States.

### How do I know if APT9 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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