# POLONIUM: threat group profile

> POLONIUM is an espionage group thought to operate from Lebanon, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on critical manufacturing, defense industrial base and financial services organisations, with 1 country or victim 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/polonium
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/) > [Threat groups](https://www.precursorintelligence.com/threat-actors) > POLONIUM

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 7 (plus 4 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 1 |
| Thought to operate from | Lebanon |
| Suspected backing | Lebanon |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 3 |
| Public reports | 3 |

## Who is POLONIUM?

POLONIUM is an espionage group thought to operate from Lebanon, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on critical manufacturing, defense industrial base and financial services organisations, with 1 country or victim named.

### Also known as

Plaid Rain, UNC4453, GREATRIFT

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

### What public reporting says

> Microsoft successfully detected and disabled attack activity abusing OneDrive by a previously undocumented Lebanon-based activity group Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) tracks as POLONIUM.

## How does POLONIUM 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 POLONIUM. 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 (2)

- T1583: Acquire Infrastructure
- T1588: Obtain Capabilities

### 3. Getting in (2)

- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1199: Trusted Relationship

### 4. Running code (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 5. Staying in (1)

- T1078: Valid Accounts

### 6. Taking control (1)

- T1078: Valid Accounts

### 7. Hiding (1)

- T1078: Valid Accounts

### 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 (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 13. Keeping contact (2)

- T1090: Proxy
- T1102: Web Service

### 14. Taking data out (1)

- T1567: Exfiltration Over Web Service

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does POLONIUM go after?

**Sectors:** Critical manufacturing, Defense industrial base, Financial services, Food and agriculture, Government agencies and services, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Information technology, Transportation systems, NGOs, Civil Society, Military, Defense

**Countries and victims named:** Israel

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

## Public reports about POLONIUM

- https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/06/02/exposing-polonium-activity-and-infrastructure-targeting-israeli-organizations/
- https://www.deepinstinct.com/blog/polonium-apt-group-uncovering-new-elements
- https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/tool-of-first-resort-israel-hamas-war-cyber.pdf

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is POLONIUM?

POLONIUM is an espionage group thought to operate from Lebanon, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 7 attack techniques, and to attacks on critical manufacturing, defense industrial base and financial services organisations, with 1 country or victim named.

### Where is POLONIUM thought to be based?

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

### Who does POLONIUM target?

In public reporting, sectors named include critical manufacturing, defense industrial base, financial services, food and agriculture and government agencies and services, and 1 countries and victims are named, including Israel.

### How does POLONIUM attack?

Public reporting links POLONIUM to 7 attack techniques. Most of them are about preparation, getting in and keeping contact.

### How do I know if POLONIUM 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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