# BackdoorDiplomacy: threat group profile

> BackdoorDiplomacy is a threat group. Public reporting links it to 13 attack techniques, and to attacks on government and telecomms organisations, with 12 countries and victims named. This free profile shows how it works and who it targets, so you can judge the risk to you.

Canonical page: https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors/backdoordiplomacy
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/) > [Threat groups](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors) > BackdoorDiplomacy

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 13 (plus 8 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 12 |
| Thought to operate from | Not known |
| Other names | 3 |
| Public reports | 1 |

## Who is BackdoorDiplomacy?

BackdoorDiplomacy is a threat group. Public reporting links it to 13 attack techniques, and to attacks on government and telecomms organisations, with 12 countries and victims named.

### Also known as

BackDip, CloudComputating, Quarian

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

### What public reporting says

> An APT group that we are calling BackdoorDiplomacy, due to the main vertical of its victims, has been targeting Ministries of Foreign Affairs and telecommunication companies in Africa and the Middle East since at least 2017.

## How does BackdoorDiplomacy attack? Stage by stage

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 13 linked to BackdoorDiplomacy. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 8 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

### 1. Research (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 2. Preparation (1)

- T1588: Obtain Capabilities

### 3. Getting in (1)

- T1190: Exploit Public-Facing Application

### 4. Running code (1)

- T1574: Hijack Execution Flow

### 5. Staying in (1)

- T1505: Server Software Component

### 6. Taking control (1)

- T1055: Process Injection

### 7. Hiding (4)

- T1027: Obfuscated Files or Information
- T1036: Masquerading
- T1055: Process Injection
- T1574: Hijack Execution Flow

### 8. Disabling defences (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 9. Stealing passwords (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 10. Looking around (3)

- T1046: Network Service Discovery
- T1049: System Network Connections Discovery
- T1120: Peripheral Device Discovery

### 11. Spreading (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 12. Gathering data (1)

- T1074: Data Staged

### 13. Keeping contact (2)

- T1095: Non-Application Layer Protocol
- T1105: Ingress Tool Transfer

### 14. Taking data out (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does BackdoorDiplomacy go after?

**Sectors:** Government, Telecomms

**Countries and victims named:** Libya, Namibia, Sudan, Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Poland, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan

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

## Public reports about BackdoorDiplomacy

- https://www.welivesecurity.com/2021/06/10/backdoordiplomacy-upgrading-quarian-turian/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is BackdoorDiplomacy?

BackdoorDiplomacy is a threat group. Public reporting links it to 13 attack techniques, and to attacks on government and telecomms organisations, with 12 countries and victims named.

### Who does BackdoorDiplomacy target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government and telecomms, and 12 countries and victims are named, including Libya, Namibia, Sudan and Albania.

### How does BackdoorDiplomacy attack?

Public reporting links BackdoorDiplomacy to 13 attack techniques. Most of them are about hiding, looking around and keeping contact.

### How do I know if BackdoorDiplomacy 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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