Threat Actor Profile
High APT
Description

Darkhotel is a suspected South Korean threat group that has targeted victims primarily in East Asia since at least 2004. The group's name is based on cyber espionage operations conducted via hotel Internet networks against traveling executives and other select guests. Darkhotel has also conducted spearphishing campaigns and infected victims through peer-to-peer and file sharing networks.(Citation: Kaspersky Darkhotel)(Citation: Securelist Darkhotel Aug 2015)(Citation: Microsoft Digital Defense FY20 Sept 2020)

Confidence Score
90%
Known Aliases
Darkhotel DUBNIUM Zigzag Hail
Tags
mitre-attack stix-2.1 intrusion-set
First Seen

Unknown

Last Updated

Unknown

Active Status
Active
Created

April 29, 2026

MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (24)
T1056.001 - Keylogging
Collection
T1105 - Ingress Tool Transfer
Command and Control
T1573.001 - Symmetric Cryptography
Command and Control
T1027.013 - Encrypted/Encoded File
Defense Evasion
T1036.005 - Match Legitimate Resource Name or Locat…
Defense Evasion
T1140 - Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information
Defense Evasion
T1497 - Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Defense Evasion
T1497.001 - System Checks
Defense Evasion
T1497.002 - User Activity Based Checks
Defense Evasion
T1553.002 - Code Signing
Defense Evasion
T1016 - System Network Configuration Discovery
Discovery
T1057 - Process Discovery
Discovery
T1082 - System Information Discovery
Discovery
T1083 - File and Directory Discovery
Discovery
T1124 - System Time Discovery
Discovery
T1518.001 - Security Software Discovery
Discovery
T1059.003 - Windows Command Shell
Execution
T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution
Execution
T1204.002 - Malicious File
Execution
T1189 - Drive-by Compromise
Initial Access
T1566.001 - Spearphishing Attachment
Initial Access
T1080 - Taint Shared Content
Lateral Movement
T1091 - Replication Through Removable Media
Lateral Movement
T1547.001 - Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
Persistence
Indicators of Compromise

Loading IOCs…

IOC KQL for Sentinel
STIX Data
{'aliases': ['Darkhotel', 'DUBNIUM', 'Zigzag Hail'],
 'created': '2017-05-31T21:31:50.624Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': '[Darkhotel](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0012) is a '
                'suspected South Korean threat group that has targeted victims '
                "primarily in East Asia since at least 2004. The group's name "
                'is based on cyber espionage operations conducted via hotel '
                'Internet networks against traveling executives and other '
                'select guests. '
                '[Darkhotel](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0012) has also '
                'conducted spearphishing campaigns and infected victims '
                'through peer-to-peer and file sharing networks.(Citation: '
                'Kaspersky Darkhotel)(Citation: Securelist Darkhotel Aug '
                '2015)(Citation: Microsoft Digital Defense FY20 Sept 2020)',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'G0012',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0012'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Kaspersky Darkhotel)',
                          'source_name': 'Darkhotel'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Microsoft Digital Defense '
                                         'FY20 Sept 2020)(Citation: Microsoft '
                                         'DUBNIUM June 2016)(Citation: '
                                         'Microsoft DUBNIUM Flash June '
                                         '2016)(Citation: Microsoft DUBNIUM '
                                         'July 2016)',
                          'source_name': 'DUBNIUM'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Microsoft Threat Actor '
                                         'Naming July 2023)',
                          'source_name': 'Zigzag Hail'},
                         {'description': "Kaspersky Lab's Global Research & "
                                         'Analysis Team. (2015, August 10). '
                                         "Darkhotel's attacks in 2015. "
                                         'Retrieved November 2, 2018.',
                          'source_name': 'Securelist Darkhotel Aug 2015',
                          'url': 'https://securelist.com/darkhotels-attacks-in-2015/71713/'},
                         {'description': "Kaspersky Lab's Global Research and "
                                         'Analysis Team. (2014, November). The '
                                         'Darkhotel APT A Story of Unusual '
                                         'Hospitality. Retrieved November 12, '
                                         '2014.',
                          'source_name': 'Kaspersky Darkhotel',
                          'url': 'https://media.kasperskycontenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/43/2018/03/08070903/darkhotel_kl_07.11.pdf'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft . (2020, September 29). '
                                         'Microsoft Digital Defense Report '
                                         'FY20. Retrieved April 21, 2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft Digital Defense FY20 Sept '
                                         '2020',
                          'url': 'https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RWxPuf'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft . (2023, July 12). How '
                                         'Microsoft names threat actors. '
                                         'Retrieved November 17, 2023.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft Threat Actor Naming July '
                                         '2023',
                          'url': 'https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/security/intelligence/microsoft-threat-actor-naming?view=o365-worldwide'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft. (2016, July 14). Reverse '
                                         'engineering DUBNIUM – Stage 2 '
                                         'payload analysis . Retrieved March '
                                         '31, 2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft DUBNIUM July 2016',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2016/07/14/reverse-engineering-dubnium-stage-2-payload-analysis/'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft. (2016, June 20). '
                                         'Reverse-engineering DUBNIUM’s '
                                         'Flash-targeting exploit. Retrieved '
                                         'March 31, 2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft DUBNIUM Flash June 2016',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2016/06/20/reverse-engineering-dubniums-flash-targeting-exploit/'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft. (2016, June 9). '
                                         'Reverse-engineering DUBNIUM. '
                                         'Retrieved March 31, 2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft DUBNIUM June 2016',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2016/06/09/reverse-engineering-dubnium-2/'}],
 'id': 'intrusion-set--9e729a7e-0dd6-4097-95bf-db8d64911383',
 'modified': '2024-01-08T20:27:56.707Z',
 'name': 'Darkhotel',
 'object_marking_refs': ['marking-definition--fa42a846-8d90-4e51-bc29-71d5b4802168'],
 'revoked': False,
 'spec_version': '2.1',
 'type': 'intrusion-set',
 'x_mitre_attack_spec_version': '3.2.0',
 'x_mitre_contributors': ['Harry Kim, CODEMIZE'],
 'x_mitre_deprecated': False,
 'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
 'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'x_mitre_version': '3.0'}
Quick Actions
Related TTPs (24)
Keylogging
Collection

Ingress Tool Transfer
Command and Control

Symmetric Cryptography
Command and Control

Encrypted/Encoded File
Defense Evasion

Match Legitimate Resource Nam…
Defense Evasion