Sea Turtle [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], a state-supported cyber espionage group believed to be operating in alignment with Turkish interests [6], has recently resurfaced after being undetected since 2020 [7].
Description
According to Dutch cybersecurity provider Hunt & Hackett [1], Sea Turtle has been active since at least January 2017 and primarily focuses on organizations in Europe and the Middle East [9]. They have launched a cyber espionage campaign targeting telecommunication [3] [4] [5] [8], media [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], internet service providers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [8] [9], IT-service providers [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], and Kurdish websites in the Netherlands [2] [3] [4] [5] [8] [9]. The campaign involves DNS hijacking, supply chain attacks [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], and island-hopping attacks [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]. Sea Turtle gathers personal information on minority groups and potential political dissents [9], likely for surveillance and intelligence gathering purposes [1] [2] [5] [6] [7] [9]. They intercept internet traffic to victim websites and gain unauthorized access to government networks [9]. In their most recent campaign [9], which occurred from 2021 to 2023 [1], they used a reverse TCP shell named SnappyTCP to target Linux/Unix systems [4] [8] [9]. The group also compromises cPanel accounts and uses SSH for initial access [9]. The stolen information [1] [2] [5] [6] [7], including personal data of minorities and potential political dissidents [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8], is likely to be used for surveillance and intelligence gathering on specific groups or individuals [1] [5] [7]. These activities align with previous claims of hacker groups acting in Turkey’s interest [6], focusing on the identities and locations of victims [6], including governments of geopolitically significant countries [6]. Sea Turtle [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], also known as Cosmic Wolf [2] [3] [4] [8], Marbled Dust [2] [3] [4] [8], Teal Kurma [2] [3] [4] [8], and UNC1326 [2] [3] [4] [8], has been identified by Microsoft as carrying out intelligence collection to meet strategic Turkish interests in countries like Armenia [3] [4], Cyprus [2] [4] [8], Greece [2] [4] [8], Iraq [2] [4] [8], and Syria [2] [4] [8]. To mitigate the risks of such attacks [3] [4], organizations are advised to enforce strong password policies [3] [4] [8], implement two-factor authentication [3] [4] [8], monitor SSH traffic [3] [4] [8], and keep systems and software up-to-date [3] [4] [8]. Sea Turtle [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9], a Türkiye-nexus threat actor [3] [4] [5] [8], poses a severe threat and has targeted DNS registrars and registries [8]. They exploit known vulnerabilities in telecom and IT companies to establish a foothold upstream of their desired targets [8]. The group continues to be a stealthy espionage-focused group [8], using defense evasion techniques and harvesting email archives [2] [4] [8].
Conclusion
The activities of Sea Turtle have significant impacts on targeted organizations and individuals, as they gather personal information for surveillance and intelligence purposes. To mitigate the risks posed by such attacks, organizations are advised to enforce strong security measures [8], such as implementing strong password policies and two-factor authentication, monitoring SSH traffic [3] [4] [8], and keeping systems and software up-to-date [3] [4] [8]. The resurfacing of Sea Turtle highlights the ongoing threat of state-supported cyber espionage groups and the need for continued vigilance in defending against such attacks.
References
[1] https://www.security.nl/posting/824340/Securitybedrijf+meldt+Turkse+spionagecampagne+in+Nederland
[2] https://www.techidee.nl/cyberspionagecampagne-sea-turtle-richt-zich-op-nederlandse-it-en-telecombedrijven/4118/
[3] https://flyytech.com/2024/01/06/sea-turtle-cyber-espionage-campaign-targets-dutch-it-and-telecom-companies/
[4] https://patabook.com/technology/2024/01/06/sea-turtle-cyber-espionage-campaign-targets-dutch-it-and-telecom-companies/
[5] https://thehackernews.com/2024/01/sea-turtle-cyber-espionage-campaign.html
[6] https://www.huntandhackett.com/blog/turkish-espionage-campaigns
[7] https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/turkish-apt-sea-turtle-resurfaces/
[8] https://ciso2ciso.com/sea-turtle-cyber-espionage-campaign-targets-dutch-it-and-telecom-companies-sourcethehackernews-com/
[9] https://ciso2ciso.com/turkish-sea-turtle-apt-targets-dutch-it-and-telecom-firms-source-securityaffairs-com/
