Chinese hackers target Christian targets with new malware variant

Researchers from Proofpoint have observed the APT actor TA416 resuming its malicious activity with a new malware variant following a brief respite which coincided with the Chinese National Day holiday back in September.

TA416, also known as “Mustang Panda” and “Red Delta”, is a Chinese APT (advanced persistent threat) group that uses its PlugX malware loader in targeted campaigns. The group is known for modifying its toolset to evade detection and make analysis by security researchers difficult.

Proofpoint has observed new phishing activity by TA416 which targeted entities associated with diplomatic relations between the Vatican and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The group also targeted entities in Myanmar as well as organizations conducting diplomacy efforts in Africa.