Mustang Panda

Threat Actor
31 incidents First seen 2025-12-29 Last seen 2026-10-28
Overview

Mustang Panda is a China-based cyber espionage threat actor that has been conducting operations since at least 2012. Mustang Panda has been known to use tailored phishing lures and decoy documents to deliver malicious payloads. Mustang Panda has targeted government, diplomatic, and non-governmental organizations, including think tanks, religious institutions, and research entities, across the United States, Europe, and Asia, with notable activity in Russia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

Threat ecosystem
Actors Malware Campaigns CVEs
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At a glance
peak priority 210 97 techniques 23 tools & malware in ATT&CK since 2021-04-12 updated 2026-07-31 · v3.0
Activity by month (incidents)
2025-122026-10
Sectors targeted
government · 14technology · 8finance · 6energy · 4manufacturing · 4aerospace · 3defense · 3health · 2retail · 2automotive · 1
Countries targeted
CN · 22KP · 12PK · 12MM · 11BN · 10ID · 10IN · 9BE · 8JP · 8KH · 8KR · 8LA · 8
Origin
CN · 26KP · 8BN · 6ID · 6IN · 6KH · 6
Kinds of incident
Malware & Botnets · 14State-Sponsored & Espionage · 12AI-Enabled Attack · 4Phishing & Social Engineering · 4Cyberattack (general) · 3Critical Infrastructure & OT · 2
Techniques seen in incidents
Espionage · 19Phishing · 15Reconnaissance · 12T1588.001 - Malware · 9Social Engineering · 7Spoofing · 7T1059.007 - JavaScript · 7Keylogging · 6Ransomware · 6T1059.001 - PowerShell · 6Exfiltration · 4T1059.006 - Python · 4Extortion · 3Impersonation · 3
Related malware
PlugX · 12PUBLOAD · 3TONESHELL · 3Lumma Stealer · 2ShadowPad · 2Amadey · 1Babuk · 1CanisterWorm · 1
Related CVEs
CVE-2025-8088 · 3CVE-2017-7921 · 1CVE-2018-0802 · 1CVE-2023-6895 · 1CVE-2025-0994 · 1CVE-2025-21042 · 1CVE-2025-25257 · 1CVE-2025-31324 · 1CVE-2025-33053 · 1CVE-2025-68613 · 1
ATT&CK techniques by tactic (97)
reconnaissance T1593 Search Open Websites/Domains T1598.003 Spearphishing Link
resource development T1583.001 Domains T1583.006 Web Services T1585.002 Email Accounts T1586.002 Email Accounts T1587.001 Malware T1588.002 Tool T1588.003 Code Signing Certificates T1588.004 Digital Certificates T1608 Stage Capabilities T1608.001 Upload Malware
initial access T1091 Replication Through Removable Media T1566.001 Spearphishing Attachment T1566.002 Spearphishing Link
execution T1047 Windows Management Instrumentation T1053.005 Scheduled Task T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter T1059.001 PowerShell T1059.003 Windows Command Shell T1059.005 Visual Basic T1059.007 JavaScript T1072 Software Deployment Tools T1106 Native API T1129 Shared Modules T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution T1204.001 Malicious Link T1204.002 Malicious File T1574.001 DLL T1574.005 Executable Installer File Permissions Weakness
persistence T1053.005 Scheduled Task T1176.002 IDE Extensions T1205 Traffic Signaling T1505.003 Web Shell T1546.003 Windows Management Instrumentation Event Subscription T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
privilege escalation T1053.005 Scheduled Task T1546.003 Windows Management Instrumentation Event Subscription T1547.001 Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
credential access T1003 OS Credential Dumping T1003.001 LSASS Memory T1003.003 NTDS T1003.006 DCSync T1557 Adversary-in-the-Middle
discovery T1016 System Network Configuration Discovery T1018 Remote System Discovery T1046 Network Service Discovery T1049 System Network Connections Discovery T1057 Process Discovery T1069.002 Domain Groups T1082 System Information Discovery T1083 File and Directory Discovery T1087.002 Domain Account T1518 Software Discovery T1622 Debugger Evasion T1654 Log Enumeration
lateral movement T1072 Software Deployment Tools T1091 Replication Through Removable Media
collection T1074.001 Local Data Staging T1119 Automated Collection T1557 Adversary-in-the-Middle T1560.001 Archive via Utility T1560.003 Archive via Custom Method
command and control T1001.003 Protocol or Service Impersonation T1071.001 Web Protocols T1095 Non-Application Layer Protocol T1102 Web Service T1105 Ingress Tool Transfer T1205 Traffic Signaling T1219.001 IDE Tunneling T1219.002 Remote Desktop Software T1572 Protocol Tunneling T1573.001 Symmetric Cryptography
exfiltration T1041 Exfiltration Over C2 Channel T1048.003 Exfiltration Over Unencrypted Non-C2 Protocol T1052.001 Exfiltration over USB T1567.002 Exfiltration to Cloud Storage
stealth T1027 Obfuscated Files or Information T1027.007 Dynamic API Resolution T1027.012 LNK Icon Smuggling T1027.016 Junk Code Insertion T1036.005 Match Legitimate Resource Name or Location T1036.007 Double File Extension T1036.008 Masquerade File Type T1070 Indicator Removal T1070.004 File Deletion T1070.006 Timestomp T1140 Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information T1205 Traffic Signaling T1218.004 InstallUtil T1218.005 Mshta T1564.001 Hidden Files and Directories T1574.001 DLL T1574.005 Executable Installer File Permissions Weakness T1622 Debugger Evasion T1678 Delay Execution
defense impairment T1553.002 Code Signing
Tools & malware it uses
AdFindBOOKWORMCANONSTAGERChina ChopperCLAIMLOADERCobalt StrikeCorKLOGHIUPANImpacketMimikatzNBTscanPAKLOGPlugXPoisonIvyPUBLOADRCSessionShadowPadSplatCloakSplatDropperStarProxySTATICPLUGINTONESHELLWevtutil
Campaigns attributed to it
RedDelta Modified PlugX Infection Chain Operations
Incident timeline
2026-09-15
BambooToken Malware Uses MQTT to Control Windows and Linux Systems
2026-09-08
Autonomous AI Agents Compromise Thousands of Credentials in Under Six Hours
2026-08-26
FBI Seizes China-Linked Hacking Platforms QScan and QTRouter Used Against Critical Infrastructure
2026-08-24
Operation QUICSILVER Targets Myanmar Government and IT with QUICAgent Backdoor
2026-08-16
Mustang Panda Upgrades CoolClient With a Kernel Rootkit
2026-08-05
QuickFox Supply Chain Attack Delivers FDMTP Backdoor via Trojanized Windows Installer
2026-07-30
ThreatsDay: AI-Powered Hacking, 370 Chrome Flaws, SonicWall Attacks, DNS Hijacking + 22 More Stories
2026-06-29
Mustang Panda Uses Zoho WorkDrive as Command Channel in Indian Government Attacks
2026-05-14
Mustang Panda Linked to Updated FDMTP Backdoor in Asia-Pacific Espionage Campaign
2026-05-14
Mustang Panda Linked to Updated FDMTP Backdoor in Asia-Pacific Espionage Campaign
2026-05-14
China-Linked Twill Typhoon Uses Fake Apple and Yahoo Sites for Espionage
2026-04-22
Mustang Panda Hits India and S. Korea with Updated LOTUSLITE Backdoor
2026-04-22
Mustang Panda’s New LOTUSLITE Variant Targets India Banks, South Korea Policy Circles
2026-04-21
Chinese APT Targets Indian Banks, Korean Policy Circles
2026-04-03
China-Linked TA416 Targets European Governments with PlugX and OAuth-Based Phishing
2026-03-19
Speagle Malware Hijacks Cobra DocGuard to Steal Data via Compromised Servers
2026-03-07
Hackers Spread Fake Red Alert Rocket Alert App to Spy on Israeli Users
2026-02-24
UnsolicitedBooker Targets Central Asian Telecoms With LuciDoor and MarsSnake Backdoors
2026-02-23
2025: The Untold Stories of Check Point Research
2026-02-12
Microsoft: New Windows LNK spoofing issues aren't vulnerabilities
2026-02-12
Nation-State Hackers Embrace Gemini AI for Malicious Campaigns, Google Finds
2026-01-27
HoneyMyte updates CoolClient and deploys multiple stealers in recent campaigns
2026-01-15
Chinese spies used Maduro's capture as a lure to phish US govt agencies
2026-01-07
China intensifies Cyber-Attacks on Taiwan as Energy Sector Sees Tenfold Spike
2025-12-29
The HoneyMyte APT evolves with a kernel-mode rootkit and a ToneShell backdoor