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Tortoiseshell threat group

Tortoiseshell is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to attacks on defense, government and military organisations, with 4 countries and victims named. This free profile brings together what is known about it, so you can judge the risk to you.

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Attack techniques
0
Countries and victims named
4
Thought to operate from
Iran
Suspected backing
Iran
Motive
Espionage
Other names
6
Built from public reporting, with every source listed below.
Overview

Who is Tortoiseshell?

Tortoiseshell has 6 other names in security research. Below is what published reporting says about it, with a link to every report so you can check the detail yourself.

Also known as

IMPERIAL KITTENYellow LidercImperial KittenTA456DUSTYCAVECrimson Sandstorm

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

What public reporting says

A previously undocumented attack group is using both custom and off-the-shelf malware to target IT providers in Saudi Arabia in what appear to be supply chain attacks with the end goal of compromising the IT providers’ customers. The group, which we are calling Tortoiseshell, has been active since at least July 2018. Symantec has identified a total of 11 organizations hit by the group, the majority of which are based in Saudi Arabia. In at least two organizations, evidence suggests that the attackers gained domain admin-level access.

Public reports about Tortoiseshell (6)

Targets

Who does Tortoiseshell go after?

The sectors and places named in public reporting about this group. If yours is on the list, it is worth knowing how they work and which flaws they use.

Sectors (15)

DefenseGovernmentMilitaryFinanceEnergyHealthcarePharmaceuticalsTelecomsHigh-TechMediaNGOsCivil SocietyLegalRailTransportation
See threats by industry →

Countries and victims named (4)

  1. 01United States
  2. 02Israel
  3. 03Middle East
  4. 04Europe
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Is Tortoiseshell a risk to you?

A public profile tells you who a group is. Your account tells you whether it matters to you: we match the software you run to the flaws threat groups use, and we keep watching, so you hear about anything that affects you as soon as we know.

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FAQ

Questions about Tortoiseshell

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Tortoiseshell is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to attacks on defense, government and military organisations, with 4 countries and victims named.

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

In public reporting, sectors named include defense, government, military, finance and energy, and 4 countries and victims are named, including United States, Israel, Middle East and Europe.

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