Lotus Blossom Hacking Group Exploits Notepad++ Hosting Breach to Deploy Chrysalis Backdoor
Summary
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The China-linked Lotus Blossom hacking group exploited a hosting provider breach to deliver a previously undocumented backdoor, Chrysalis, to Notepad++ users. The attack, which occurred between June and December 2025, involved hijacking update traffic and exploiting insufficient update verification controls in older versions of the software. The group used a multi-layered shellcode loader and integrated undocumented system calls to enhance stealth and resilience. The breach was discovered and mitigated in December 2025, with Notepad++ migrating to a new hosting provider and rotating all credentials. The Chrysalis backdoor is a feature-rich implant capable of gathering system information, executing commands, and maintaining persistence. It communicates with a command-and-control (C2) server to receive additional instructions. The C2 server is currently offline, but the malware's capabilities suggest ongoing development and adaptation by the threat actor.
Timeline
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03.02.2026 06:55 1 articles · 20h ago
Lotus Blossom Hacking Group Exploits Notepad++ Hosting Breach to Deploy Chrysalis Backdoor
The China-linked Lotus Blossom hacking group exploited a hosting provider breach to deliver a previously undocumented backdoor, Chrysalis, to Notepad++ users. The attack, which occurred between June and December 2025, involved hijacking update traffic and exploiting insufficient update verification controls in older versions of the software. The group used a multi-layered shellcode loader and integrated undocumented system calls to enhance stealth and resilience. The breach was discovered and mitigated in December 2025, with Notepad++ migrating to a new hosting provider and rotating all credentials. The Chrysalis backdoor is a feature-rich implant capable of gathering system information, executing commands, and maintaining persistence. It communicates with a command-and-control (C2) server to receive additional instructions. The C2 server is currently offline, but the malware's capabilities suggest ongoing development and adaptation by the threat actor.
Show sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
Information Snippets
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The Lotus Blossom hacking group exploited a hosting provider breach to deliver the Chrysalis backdoor to Notepad++ users.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The attack occurred between June and December 2025, exploiting insufficient update verification controls in older versions of Notepad++.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The Chrysalis backdoor is a feature-rich implant capable of gathering system information and executing commands.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The Chrysalis backdoor communicates with a command-and-control (C2) server to receive additional instructions.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The C2 server is currently offline, but the malware's capabilities suggest ongoing development and adaptation by the threat actor.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The breach was discovered and mitigated in December 2025, with Notepad++ migrating to a new hosting provider and rotating all credentials.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The Chrysalis backdoor uses a multi-layered shellcode loader and integrates undocumented system calls to enhance stealth and resilience.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55
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The threat actor has been found to copy and modify an existing proof-of-concept (PoC) published by German cybersecurity company Cirosec in September 2024.
First reported: 03.02.2026 06:551 source, 1 articleShow sources
- Notepad++ Hosting Breach Attributed to China-Linked Lotus Blossom Hacking Group — thehackernews.com — 03.02.2026 06:55