# APT16: threat group profile

> APT16 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 1 attack technique, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 2 countries and victims named. This free profile shows how it works and who it targets, so you can judge the risk to you.

Canonical page: https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors/apt16
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.edgeprotect.io/) > [Threat groups](https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors) > APT16

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 1 (plus 1 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 2 |
| Thought to operate from | China |
| Suspected backing | China |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 2 |
| Public reports | 5 |

## Who is APT16?

APT16 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 1 attack technique, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 2 countries and victims named.

### Also known as

SVCMONDR, G0023

Security companies each give the same group their own name, so one group can have many.

### What public reporting says

> Between November 26, 2015, and December 1, 2015, known and suspected China-based APT groups launched several spear-phishing attacks targeting Japanese and Taiwanese organizations in the high-tech, government services, media and financial services industries. Each campaign delivered a malicious Microsoft Word document exploiting the aforementioned EPS dict copy use-after-free vulnerability, and the local Windows privilege escalation vulnerability CVE-2015-1701. The successful exploitation of both vulnerabilities led to the delivery of either a downloader that we refer to as IRONHALO, or a backdoor that we refer to as ELMER.

## How does APT16 attack? Stage by stage

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 1 linked to APT16. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 1 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

### 1. Research (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 2. Preparation (1)

- T1584: Compromise Infrastructure

### 3. Getting in (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 4. Running code (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 5. Staying in (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 6. Taking control (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 7. Hiding (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 8. Disabling defences (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 9. Stealing passwords (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 10. Looking around (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 11. Spreading (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 12. Gathering data (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 13. Keeping contact (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 14. Taking data out (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does APT16 go after?

**Sectors:** Private sector

**Countries and victims named:** Japan, Taiwan

See threats by industry: https://www.edgeprotect.io/industries

## Public reports about APT16

- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2015/12/the_eps_awakens.html
- https://www.cfr.org/interactive/cyber-operations/apt-16
- https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0023
- https://www.mandiant.com/resources/insights/apt-groups
- https://securelist.com/analysis/publications/74828/cve-2015-2545-overview-of-current-threats/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is APT16?

APT16 is an espionage group thought to operate from China, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 1 attack technique, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 2 countries and victims named.

### Where is APT16 thought to be based?

Public reporting places APT16 as operating from China, with suspected state backing. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### Who does APT16 target?

In public reporting, sectors named include private sector, and 2 countries and victims are named, including Japan and Taiwan.

### How does APT16 attack?

Public reporting links APT16 to 1 attack techniques. Most of them are about preparation.

### How do I know if APT16 is a risk to my business?

Create an account and tell us the software you run. We match it against known flaws, including those linked to threat groups, rank each one from 0 to 100 and tell you as soon as we spot something that affects you.

## Check whether it matters to your business

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