# BRONZE STARLIGHT: threat group profile

> BRONZE STARLIGHT is a threat group thought to operate from China. Public reporting about it is still limited. This free profile brings together what is known about it, so you can judge the risk to you. It lists the other names the group goes by and links to every public report behind it.

Canonical page: https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors/bronze-starlight
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## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Thought to operate from | China |
| Other names | 4 |
| Public reports | 9 |

## Who is BRONZE STARLIGHT?

BRONZE STARLIGHT is a threat group thought to operate from China. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Also known as

SLIME34, DEV-0401, Cinnamon Tempest, Emperor Dragonfly

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

### What public reporting says

> BRONZE STARLIGHT has been active since mid 2021 and targets organizations globally across a range of industry verticals. The group leverages HUI Loader to load Cobalt Strike and PlugX payloads for command and control. CTU researchers have observed BRONZE STARLIGHT deploying ransomware to compromised networks as part of name-and-shame ransomware schemes, and posted victim names to leak sites.  CTU researchers assess with moderate confidence that BRONZE STARLIGHT is located in China based on observed tradecraft, including the use of HUI Loader and PlugX which are associated with China-based threat group activity. It is plausible that BRONZE STARLIGHT deploys ransomware as a smokescreen rather than for financial gain, with the underlying motivation of stealing intellectual property theft or conducting espionage.

## Public reports about BRONZE STARLIGHT

- https://i.blackhat.com/Asia-22/Friday-Materials/AS-22-Li-To-Loot-Or-Not-To-Loot-That-Is-Not-a-Question.pdf
- https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2022/05/09/ransomware-as-a-service-understanding-the-cybercrime-gig-economy-and-how-to-protect-yourself
- https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/12/11/guidance-for-preventing-detecting-and-hunting-for-cve-2021-44228-log4j-2-exploitation
- https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/lockbit-ransomware-side-loads-cobalt-strike-beacon-with-legitimate-vmware-utility
- https://twitter.com/cglyer/status/1480734487000453121
- https://blog.sygnia.co/revealing-emperor-dragonfly-a-chinese-ransomware-group
- https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/chinese-entanglement-dll-hijacking-in-the-asian-gambling-sector/
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2022/05/09/ransomware-as-a-service-understanding-the-cybercrime-gig-economy-and-how-to-protect-yourself/
- https://www.secureworks.com/research/bronze-starlight-ransomware-operations-use-hui-loader

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is BRONZE STARLIGHT?

BRONZE STARLIGHT is a threat group thought to operate from China. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### Where is BRONZE STARLIGHT thought to be based?

Public reporting places BRONZE STARLIGHT as operating from China. Attribution is never certain: it rests on the tools, infrastructure and targets researchers have seen.

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

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