Lazarus Group

Lazarus Group is a North Korean state-sponsored cyber threat group attributed to the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). ^{1 2} Lazarus Group has been active since at least 2009 and is reportedly responsible for the November 2014 destructive wiper attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, identified by Novetta as part of Operation Blockbuster. Malware used by Lazarus Group correlates to other reported campaigns, including Operation Flame, Operation 1Mission, Operation Troy, DarkSeoul, and Ten Days of Rain.³ North Korea’s cyber operations have shown a consistent pattern of adaptation, forming and reorganizing units as national priorities shift. These units frequently share personnel, infrastructure, malware, and tradecraft, making it difficult to attribute specific operations with high confidence. Public reporting often uses “Lazarus Group” as an umbrella term for multiple North Korean cyber operators conducting espionage, destructive attacks, and financially motivated campaigns.⁴⁵⁶

1. US-CERT HIDDEN COBRA June 2017
2. Treasury North Korean Cyber Groups September 2019
3. Novetta Blockbuster
4. Mandiant DPRK Laz Org Breakdown 2022
5. Mandiant DPRK Groups 2023
6. JPCert Blog Laz Subgroups 2025

Claims and citations

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Technique use

Aliases

Diamond Sleet · Guardians of Peace · HIDDEN COBRA · Labyrinth Chollima · Lazarus Group · NICKEL ACADEMY · ZINC

Reading and review

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Corrections