Nation-State Actor

Earth Lusca

China • Active since 2019

Earth Lusca attacks governments by hacking websites that government workers visit. When someone visits the hacked website, their computer gets infected. They target governments across Asia.

Overview

Earth Lusca is a Chinese threat group that targets government and intergovernmental organizations worldwide, with a focus on Asian countries. They use watering hole attacks and spear-phishing.

Also Known As

TAG-22, Charcoal Typhoon

Target Industries

Government, Education, Religious Organizations, Media, NGOs

Target Regions

Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Europe

Is your business exposed?

Tactics, Techniques & Procedures

  • Watering hole attacks
  • Spear-phishing
  • N-day exploitation
  • Web application exploitation
  • Data exfiltration

Known Tools & Malware

Cobalt Strike, Winnti, Doraemon, ShadowPad, FunnySwitch

Notable Campaigns

Asian Government Targeting (2021-2023)

Targeted government entities across multiple Asian countries.

Intergovernmental Organization Attacks (2022)

Targeted international organizations and embassies.

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques

T1189, T1566.001, T1190, T1041, T1059

Defense Recommendations

  1. 1.

    Implement web isolation for government staff

  2. 2.

    Monitor for Cobalt Strike indicators

  3. 3.

    Assess watering hole risk exposure

Related Threat Actors

Winnti Group, Mustang Panda

Is your business exposed?

Check if your company data is circulating on the dark web

Free scan • No credit card required