# CopyKittens: threat group profile

> CopyKittens is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government, private sector and civil society organisations, with 5 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/copykittens
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/) > [Threat groups](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors) > CopyKittens

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 7 (plus 7 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 5 |
| Thought to operate from | Iran |
| Suspected backing | Iran |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 2 |
| Public reports | 7 |

## Who is CopyKittens?

CopyKittens is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government, private sector and civil society organisations, with 5 countries and victims named.

### Also known as

Slayer Kitten, G0052

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

## How does CopyKittens attack? Stage by stage

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 7 linked to CopyKittens. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 7 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 (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 4. Running code (1)

- T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter

### 5. Staying in (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 6. Taking control (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 7. Hiding (2)

- T1218: System Binary Proxy Execution
- T1564: Hide Artifacts

### 8. Disabling defences (1)

- T1553: Subvert Trust Controls

### 9. Stealing passwords (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 10. Looking around (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 11. Spreading (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 12. Gathering data (1)

- T1560: Archive Collected Data

### 13. Keeping contact (1)

- T1090: Proxy

### 14. Taking data out (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does CopyKittens go after?

**Sectors:** Government, Private sector, Civil society

**Countries and victims named:** Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Germany, United States

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

## Public reports about CopyKittens

- https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/minervaresearchpublic/CopyKittens/CopyKittens.pdf
- https://www.domaintools.com/resources/blog/case-study-hunting-campaign-indicators-on-privacy-protected-attack-infrastr
- http://www.clearskysec.com/copykitten-jpost/
- http://www.clearskysec.com/tulip/
- https://www.cfr.org/interactive/cyber-operations/copykittens
- https://www.clearskysec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Operation_Wilted_Tulip.pdf
- https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0052/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is CopyKittens?

CopyKittens is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government, private sector and civil society organisations, with 5 countries and victims named.

### Where is CopyKittens thought to be based?

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

### Who does CopyKittens target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government, private sector and civil society, and 5 countries and victims are named, including Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Germany.

### How does CopyKittens attack?

Public reporting links CopyKittens to 7 attack techniques. Most of them are about hiding, preparation and running code.

### How do I know if CopyKittens 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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