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Phish and Chips: China-Aligned Espionage Actors Ramp Up Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Targeting

· Published 17/07/2025 20:06 · Modified 17/07/2025 20:44

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Published
17/07/2025 20:06
Modified
17/07/2025 20:44
Tags
2025-07-17 cobalt strike espionage healthkick phishing semiconductor sparkrat unk_droppitch unk_fistbump unk_sparkycarp voldemort
Related entities
54 observables, 5 others

Description

Between March and June 2025, three Chinese state-sponsored threat actors conducted targeted campaigns against the Taiwanese industry. The campaigns targeted organizations involved in manufacturing, design, testing, supply chain, and financial analysis. This activity likely reflects China's strategic priority to achieve self-sufficiency and decrease reliance on international supply chains. The threat actors used various tactics including job application lures, investment collaboration pitches, and credential . They deployed custom malware like backdoor and , as well as tools like . The targeting extended beyond companies to include financial analysts specializing in the Taiwanese market, indicating comprehensive intelligence collection efforts across the sector.

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