# MoustachedBouncer: threat group profile

> MoustachedBouncer is an espionage group thought to operate from Belarus, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government organisations, with 4 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/moustachedbouncer
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## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 7 (plus 4 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 4 |
| Thought to operate from | Belarus |
| Suspected backing | Belarus |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 0 |
| Public reports | 1 |

## Who is MoustachedBouncer?

MoustachedBouncer is an espionage group thought to operate from Belarus, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government organisations, with 4 countries and victims named.

### What public reporting says

> MoustachedBouncer is a cyberespionage group discovered by ESET Research and first publicly disclosed in August 2023. The group has been active since at least 2014 and only targets foreign embassies in Belarus. Since 2020, MoustachedBouncer has most likely been able to perform adversary-in-the-middle (AitM) attacks at the ISP level, within Belarus, in order to compromise its targets. The group uses two separate toolsets that we have named NightClub and Disco.

## How does MoustachedBouncer 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 MoustachedBouncer. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 4 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

### 1. Research (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 2. Preparation (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 3. Getting in (1)

- T1659: Content Injection

### 4. Running code (1)

- T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter

### 5. Staying in (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 6. Taking control (1)

- T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

### 7. Hiding (1)

- T1027: Obfuscated Files or Information

### 8. Disabling defences (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 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 (2)

- T1074: Data Staged
- T1113: Screen Capture

### 13. Keeping contact (2)

- T1090: Proxy
- T1659: Content Injection

### 14. Taking data out (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does MoustachedBouncer go after?

**Sectors:** Government

**Countries and victims named:** Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia, Northeast Africa

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

## Public reports about MoustachedBouncer

- https://www.welivesecurity.com/en/eset-research/moustachedbouncer-espionage-against-foreign-diplomats-in-belarus/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is MoustachedBouncer?

MoustachedBouncer is an espionage group thought to operate from Belarus, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on government organisations, with 4 countries and victims named.

### Where is MoustachedBouncer thought to be based?

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

### Who does MoustachedBouncer target?

In public reporting, sectors named include government, and 4 countries and victims are named, including Europe, Eastern Europe, South Asia and Northeast Africa.

### How does MoustachedBouncer attack?

Public reporting links MoustachedBouncer to 7 attack techniques. Most of them are about gathering data, keeping contact and getting in.

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

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