Security News > 2022 > November > OPERA1ER APT Hackers Targeted Dozens of Financial Organizations in Africa

A French-speaking threat actor dubbed OPERA1ER has been linked to a series of more than 30 successful cyber attacks aimed at banks, financial services, and telecom companies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America between 2018 and 2022.

According to Singapore-headquartered cybersecurity company Group-IB, the attacks have led to thefts totaling $11 million, with actual damages estimated to be as high as $30 million.

Some of the more recent attacks in 2021 and 2021 have singled out five different banks in Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.

The attack chain commences with "High-quality spear-phishing emails" with invoice and delivery-themed lures written primarily in French and to a lesser extent in English.

In one instance, over 400 mule subscriber accounts were employed to illicitly siphon the money, indicating that the "Attack was very sophisticated, organized, coordinated, and planned over a long period of time".

"There are no zero-day threats in OPERA1ER's arsenal, and the attacks often use exploits for vulnerabilities discovered three years ago," the company noted.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2022/11/researchers-detail-opera1er-apt-attacks.html