# APT33: threat group profile

> APT33 is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 23 attack techniques, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 3 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/apt33
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.edgeprotect.io/) > [Threat groups](https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors) > APT33

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 23 (plus 24 sub-techniques) |
| Countries and victims named | 3 |
| Thought to operate from | Iran |
| Suspected backing | Iran |
| Motive | Espionage |
| Other names | 10 |
| Public reports | 11 |

## Who is APT33?

APT33 is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 23 attack techniques, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 3 countries and victims named.

### Also known as

APT 33, Elfin, MAGNALLIUM, Refined Kitten, HOLMIUM, COBALT TRINITY, G0064, ATK35, Peach Sandstorm, TA451

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

### What public reporting says

> Our analysis reveals that APT33 is a capable group that has carried out cyber espionage operations since at least 2013. We assess APT33 works at the behest of the Iranian government.

## How does APT33 attack? Stage by stage

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 23 linked to APT33. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Public reporting also lists 24 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

### 1. Research (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 2. Preparation (1)

- T1588: Obtain Capabilities

### 3. Getting in (2)

- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1566: Phishing

### 4. Running code (4)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter
- T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution
- T1204: User Execution

### 5. Staying in (4)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1546: Event Triggered Execution
- T1547: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution

### 6. Taking control (5)

- T1053: Scheduled Task/Job
- T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
- T1078: Valid Accounts
- T1546: Event Triggered Execution
- T1547: Boot or Logon Autostart Execution

### 7. Hiding (2)

- T1027: Obfuscated Files or Information
- T1078: Valid Accounts

### 8. Disabling defences (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 9. Stealing passwords (5)

- T1003: OS Credential Dumping
- T1040: Network Sniffing
- T1110: Brute Force
- T1552: Unsecured Credentials
- T1555: Credentials from Password Stores

### 10. Looking around (1)

- T1040: Network Sniffing

### 11. Spreading (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

### 12. Gathering data (1)

- T1560: Archive Collected Data

### 13. Keeping contact (5)

- T1071: Application Layer Protocol
- T1105: Ingress Tool Transfer
- T1132: Data Encoding
- T1571: Non-Standard Port
- T1573: Encrypted Channel

### 14. Taking data out (1)

- T1048: Exfiltration Over Alternative Protocol

### 15. Causing damage (0)

- None linked in public reporting.

## Who does APT33 go after?

**Sectors:** Private sector

**Countries and victims named:** United States, Saudi Arabia, South Korea

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

## Public reports about APT33

- https://www.fireeye.com/blog/threat-research/2017/09/apt33-insights-into-iranian-cyber-espionage.html
- https://blog.trendmicro.com/trendlabs-security-intelligence/more-than-a-dozen-obfuscated-apt33-botnets-used-for-extreme-narrow-targeting/
- https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/10703/275683
- https://symantec-blogs.broadcom.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/elfin-apt33-espionage
- https://www.secureworks.com/research/threat-profiles/cobalt-trinity
- https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0064/
- https://threatconnect.com/blog/research-roundup-activity-on-previously-identified-apt33-domains/
- https://www.cfr.org/interactive/cyber-operations/apt-33
- https://dragos.com/media/2017-Review-Industrial-Control-System-Threats.pdf
- https://dragos.com/adversaries.html
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/09/14/peach-sandstorm-password-spray-campaigns-enable-intelligence-collection-at-high-value-targets/

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is APT33?

APT33 is an espionage group thought to operate from Iran, with suspected state backing. Public reporting links it to 23 attack techniques, and to attacks on private sector organisations, with 3 countries and victims named.

### Where is APT33 thought to be based?

Public reporting places APT33 as operating from Iran, with suspected state backing. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

### Who does APT33 target?

In public reporting, sectors named include private sector, and 3 countries and victims are named, including United States, Saudi Arabia and South Korea.

### How does APT33 attack?

Public reporting links APT33 to 23 attack techniques. Most of them are about taking control, stealing passwords and keeping contact.

### How do I know if APT33 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.

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