CURIUM is an Iranian threat group, first reported in September 2019 and active since at least July 2018, targeting IT service providers in the Middle East.1 CURIUM has since invested in building relationships with potential targets via social media over a period of months to establish trust and confidence before sending malware. Security researchers note CURIUM has demonstrated great patience and persistence by chatting with potential targets daily and sending benign files to help lower their security consciousness.2
- Symantec Tortoiseshell 2019
- Microsoft Iranian Threat Actor Trends November 2021
Claims and citations
Every claim comes from a writer; provenance is the writer's assertion, not a review verdict from this directory. Validity reads by citation year.
| predicate | object | Valid | Conf. | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| uses_technique | tech_t1566.003 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1505.003 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1204.002 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1584.006 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1583.003 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1082 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1608.004 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1048.002 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1005 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1585.001 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1585.002 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1124 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1598.003 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1189 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1566.001 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1059.001 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1583.001 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1041 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
| uses_technique | tech_t1583.004 | 2023 → … | 100 | src_mitre_attck_enterprise |
Technique use
| ATT&CK | Technique | platforms |
|---|---|---|
| T1005 | Data from Local System | — |
| T1041 | Exfiltration Over C2 Channel | — |
| T1048.002 | Exfiltration Over Asymmetric Encrypted Non-C2 Protocol | — |
| T1059.001 | PowerShell | — |
| T1082 | System Information Discovery | — |
| T1124 | System Time Discovery | — |
| T1189 | Drive-by Compromise | — |
| T1204.002 | Malicious File | — |
| T1505.003 | Web Shell | — |
| T1566.001 | Spearphishing Attachment | — |
| T1566.003 | Spearphishing via Service | — |
| T1583.001 | Domains | — |
| T1583.003 | Virtual Private Server | — |
| T1583.004 | Server | — |
| T1584.006 | Web Services | — |
| T1585.001 | Social Media Accounts | — |
| T1585.002 | Email Accounts | — |
| T1598.003 | Spearphishing Link | — |
| T1608.004 | Drive-by Target | — |
Aliases
Crimson Sandstorm · CURIUM · TA456 · Tortoise Shell · Yellow Liderc
Reading and review
Records are auto-ingested and not human-reviewed. Confidence is the writer's 0–100 value; bands split at ≥80 / 50–79 / <50 into high / medium / low. The four trust axes (synthetic, lifecycle, band, source count) stay separate and never merge into one score.