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Tropic Trooper leverages trojanized SumatraPDF to deliver AdaptixC2 Beacon via GitHub C2

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1 unique sources, 1 articles

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A campaign attributed to Tropic Trooper (APT23, Earth Centaur) uses a trojanized SumatraPDF reader to deploy the AdaptixC2 Beacon post-exploitation agent. Chinese-speaking individuals in Taiwan and users in South Korea and Japan are targeted via military-themed ZIP archives containing malicious SumatraPDF executables. The executable displays a decoy PDF while fetching encrypted shellcode from a staging server to launch AdaptixC2, which communicates with C2 infrastructure via GitHub. Subsequent activity includes deployment of Microsoft VS Code tunnels for remote access on high-value hosts, alongside the use of trojanized applications for camouflage. The staging server at 158.247.193[.]100 has hosted Cobalt Strike Beacon and the custom EntryShell backdoor previously associated with Tropic Trooper.

Timeline

  1. 24.04.2026 12:29 1 articles · 2h ago

    Tropic Trooper campaign employs trojanized SumatraPDF to deploy AdaptixC2 Beacon via GitHub C2

    A new Tropic Trooper campaign uses trojanized SumatraPDF reader to deliver the AdaptixC2 Beacon post-exploitation agent via encrypted shellcode retrieved from a staging server. The attacker employs a modified TOSHIS loader to execute AdaptixC2, which communicates with C2 infrastructure hosted on GitHub. Military-themed ZIP archives serve as initial lures targeting Chinese-speaking individuals in Taiwan and users in South Korea and Japan. On high-value hosts, VS Code tunnels are deployed for remote access, with additional trojanized applications installed to mask activity. The staging server at 158.247.193[.]100 previously hosted Cobalt Strike Beacon and EntryShell.

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