APT28’s BeardShell Campaign — CyberDudeBivash Threat Analysis Report
Executive Summary APT28 (aka Fancy Bear, Sofacy, Sednit) , a Russian state-sponsored threat actor, has been linked to a campaign dubbed BeardShell . This operation uses custom PowerShell-based implants and living-off-the-land binaries (LOLBins) to achieve stealthy persistence and remote command execution. The campaign demonstrates APT28’s continued focus on government, defense, and critical infrastructure targets , particularly across Europe, Asia, and NATO-aligned nations . Technical Analysis Infection Vector Phishing emails with malicious attachments (macro-enabled Office docs, ISO files). Exploiting public-facing services with weak credentials. Weaponized PowerShell scripts delivered as “updates” or via compromised domains. Implant Capabilities Fileless execution : PowerShell payloads live in memory, reducing detection footprint. Persistence : Uses registry Run keys and scheduled tasks disguised as system updates. C2 communications : Encrypt...