Operation SkyCloak targets defense sectors with Tor-enabled OpenSSH backdoor
Summary
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Operation SkyCloak is an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting defense sectors in Russia and Belarus. The attack uses phishing emails with weaponized attachments to deploy a persistent backdoor on compromised hosts. The backdoor leverages OpenSSH and a customized Tor hidden service for command-and-control (C2) communications. The campaign employs sophisticated anti-analysis techniques and environmental checks to evade detection. It establishes persistence through scheduled tasks and exfiltrates system information via a .onion URL. The threat actors behind the campaign remain unidentified, but the activity aligns with Eastern European-linked espionage targeting defense and government sectors.
Timeline
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04.11.2025 12:49 1 articles · 6d ago
Operation SkyCloak targets defense sectors with Tor-enabled OpenSSH backdoor
Operation SkyCloak is an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting defense sectors in Russia and Belarus. The attack uses phishing emails with weaponized attachments to deploy a persistent backdoor on compromised hosts. The backdoor leverages OpenSSH and a customized Tor hidden service for command-and-control (C2) communications. The campaign employs sophisticated anti-analysis techniques and environmental checks to evade detection. It establishes persistence through scheduled tasks and exfiltrates system information via a .onion URL. The threat actors behind the campaign remain unidentified, but the activity aligns with Eastern European-linked espionage targeting defense and government sectors.
Show sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
Information Snippets
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The campaign uses phishing emails with military document lures to deliver malware.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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The malware employs a multi-step infection chain involving PowerShell commands and archive files.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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The backdoor uses OpenSSH and a Tor hidden service with obfs4 for traffic obfuscation.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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The malware performs environmental checks to evade sandbox environments.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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Persistence is achieved through scheduled tasks named 'githubdesktopMaintenance'.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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The malware exfiltrates system information and a unique .onion URL hostname.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49
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The campaign shares tactical overlaps with a prior campaign tracked by CERT-UA as UAC-0125.
First reported: 04.11.2025 12:491 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Operation SkyCloak Deploys Tor-Enabled OpenSSH Backdoor Targeting Defense Sectors — thehackernews.com — 04.11.2025 12:49