# ExCobalt: threat group profile

> ExCobalt is a threat group. 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/excobalt
Breadcrumb: [Home](https://www.edgeprotect.io/) > [Threat groups](https://www.edgeprotect.io/threat-actors) > ExCobalt

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack techniques | 0 |
| Thought to operate from | Not known |
| Other names | 0 |
| Public reports | 1 |

## Who is ExCobalt?

ExCobalt is a threat group. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### What public reporting says

> ExCobalt is an APT group that has been active since at least 2016 and is believed to be linked to the notorious Cobalt Gang. The group primarily targets Russian organizations across sectors—including metallurgy, telecommunications, mining, information technology, government, and software development by exploiting supply chain weaknesses and compromised contractors for initial access. ExCobalt’s toolkit features a custom Golang‑based backdoor, GoRed, which enables remote command execution, credential harvesting, and detailed system reconnaissance, while the group also employs established tools such as Spark RAT, Mimikatz, and multiple Linux privilege escalation exploits. Researchers note that ExCobalt continually evolves its tactics and even modifies standard utilities to bypass security controls and maintain persistent access, underscoring its commitment to sophisticated cyberespionage and data theft operations.

## Public reports about ExCobalt

- https://global.ptsecurity.com/analytics/pt-esc-threat-intelligence/excobalt-gored-the-hidden-tunnel-technique

## Frequently asked questions

### Who is ExCobalt?

ExCobalt is a threat group. Public reporting about it is still limited.

### How do I know if ExCobalt 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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