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Silent Librarian threat group

Silent Librarian is a threat group thought to operate from Iran. Public reporting links it to 10 attack techniques. This free profile shows how it works, stage by stage, 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.

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Attack techniques
10
Public reports
11
Thought to operate from
Iran
Other names
5
Built from public reporting, with every source listed below.
Overview

Who is Silent Librarian?

Silent Librarian has 5 other names in security research. Below is what published reporting says about it, with a link to every report so you can check the detail yourself.

Also known as

COBALT DICKENSMabna InstituteTA407TA4900Yellow Nabu

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

What public reporting says

Last Friday, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein announced the indictment of nine Iranians who worked for an organization named the Mabna Institute. According to prosecutors, the defendants stole more than 31 terabytes of data from universities, companies, and government agencies around the world. The cost to the universities alone reportedly amounted to approximately $3.4 billion. The information stolen from these universities was used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) or sold for profit inside Iran. PhishLabs has been tracking this same threat group since late-2017, designating them Silent Librarian. Since discovery, we have been working with the FBI, ISAC partners, and other international law enforcement agencies to help understand and mitigate these attacks.

Public reports about Silent Librarian (11)

How it works

How does Silent Librarian attack? Stage by stage.

Each technique is a known way attackers research, get in, stay hidden or do damage. Here are the 10 linked to Silent Librarian, laid out from first look to final blow. Some techniques belong to more than one stage. Pick a stage to see them. Public reporting also lists 10 more specific variations of them, called sub-techniques.

Stage 2 of 15

Preparation

Setting up accounts, servers and tools to use in the attack.

4 techniques
  • T1583Acquire Infrastructure
  • T1585Establish Accounts
  • T1588Obtain Capabilities
  • T1608Stage Capabilities
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Is Silent Librarian a risk to you?

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FAQ

Questions about Silent Librarian

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Silent Librarian is a threat group thought to operate from Iran. Public reporting links it to 10 attack techniques.

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

Public reporting links Silent Librarian to 10 attack techniques. Most of them are about preparing tools and infrastructure, researching targets and getting in.

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