Operation CamelClone: Multi-Region Espionage Campaign Targets Government and Defense Entities Amidst Regional Tensions
Essential information
- Published
- 16/03/2026 10:27
- Modified
- 16/03/2026 10:52
- Tags
- 2026-03-16 espionage government hoppingant spear-phishing
- Related entities
- 29 observables, 11 techniques (mitre), 1 malware, 8 others
Description
Operation CamelClone is a multi-region espionage campaign targeting government and defense entities in Algeria, Mongolia, Ukraine, and Kuwait. The attackers use spear-phishing emails with malicious ZIP archives containing lure documents and shortcuts. The infection chain involves a JavaScript loader called HOPPINGANT, which downloads additional payloads from public file-sharing websites. The campaign abuses legitimate tools like Rclone for data exfiltration to MEGA cloud storage. Targeting patterns suggest intelligence gathering objectives, focusing on foreign policy, defense capabilities, and diplomatic alignments of countries navigating major-power rivalries. The operation's use of public services for payload hosting and data exfiltration makes network-based detection challenging.