Threat Actor Profile
High APT
Description

HAFNIUM is a likely state-sponsored cyber espionage group operating out of China that has been active since at least January 2021. HAFNIUM primarily targets entities in the US across a number of industry sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks, and NGOs. HAFNIUM has targeted remote management tools and cloud software for intial access and has demonstrated an ability to quickly operationalize exploits for identified vulnerabilities in edge devices.(Citation: Microsoft HAFNIUM March 2020)(Citation: Volexity Exchange Marauder March 2021)(Citation: Microsoft Silk Typhoon MAR 2025)

Confidence Score
90%
Known Aliases
HAFNIUM Operation Exchange Marauder Silk Typhoon
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 (44)
T1005 - Data from Local System
Collection
T1114.002 - Remote Email Collection
Collection
T1119 - Automated Collection
Collection
T1213.002 - Sharepoint
Collection
T1530 - Data from Cloud Storage
Collection
T1560.001 - Archive via Utility
Collection
T1071.001 - Web Protocols
Command and Control
T1095 - Non-Application Layer Protocol
Command and Control
T1105 - Ingress Tool Transfer
Command and Control
T1132.001 - Standard Encoding
Command and Control
T1003.001 - LSASS Memory
Credential Access
T1003.003 - NTDS
Credential Access
T1110.003 - Password Spraying
Credential Access
T1555.006 - Cloud Secrets Management Stores
Credential Access
T1070.001 - Clear Windows Event Logs
Defense Evasion
T1078.003 - Local Accounts
Defense Evasion
T1078.004 - Cloud Accounts
Defense Evasion
T1218.011 - Rundll32
Defense Evasion
T1550.001 - Application Access Token
Defense Evasion
T1564.001 - Hidden Files and Directories
Defense Evasion
T1016 - System Network Configuration Discovery
Discovery
T1016.001 - Internet Connection Discovery
Discovery
T1018 - Remote System Discovery
Discovery
T1033 - System Owner/User Discovery
Discovery
T1057 - Process Discovery
Discovery
T1083 - File and Directory Discovery
Discovery
T1059.001 - PowerShell
Execution
T1059.003 - Windows Command Shell
Execution
T1567.002 - Exfiltration to Cloud Storage
Exfiltration
T1190 - Exploit Public-Facing Application
Initial Access
T1199 - Trusted Relationship
Initial Access
T1098 - Account Manipulation
Persistence
T1136.002 - Domain Account
Persistence
T1505.003 - Web Shell
Persistence
T1068 - Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
Privilege Escalation
T1589.002 - Email Addresses
Reconnaissance
T1590 - Gather Victim Network Information
Reconnaissance
T1590.005 - IP Addresses
Reconnaissance
T1592.004 - Client Configurations
Reconnaissance
T1593.003 - Code Repositories
Reconnaissance
T1583.003 - Virtual Private Server
Resource Development
T1583.005 - Botnet
Resource Development
T1583.006 - Web Services
Resource Development
T1584.005 - Botnet
Resource Development
Indicators of Compromise

Loading IOCs…

IOC KQL for Sentinel
STIX Data
{'aliases': ['HAFNIUM', 'Operation Exchange Marauder', 'Silk Typhoon'],
 'created': '2021-03-03T19:40:47.280Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': '[HAFNIUM](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0125) is a likely '
                'state-sponsored cyber espionage group operating out of China '
                'that has been active since at least January 2021. '
                '[HAFNIUM](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0125) primarily '
                'targets entities in the US across a number of industry '
                'sectors, including infectious disease researchers, law firms, '
                'higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy '
                'think tanks, and NGOs. '
                '[HAFNIUM](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0125) has targeted '
                'remote management tools and cloud software for intial access '
                'and has demonstrated an ability to quickly operationalize '
                'exploits for identified vulnerabilities in edge '
                'devices.(Citation: Microsoft HAFNIUM March 2020)(Citation: '
                'Volexity Exchange Marauder March 2021)(Citation: Microsoft '
                'Silk Typhoon MAR 2025)',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'G0125',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0125'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Microsoft Threat Actor '
                                         'Naming July 2023)(Citation: '
                                         'Microsoft Silk Typhoon MAR 2025)',
                          'source_name': 'Silk Typhoon'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Volexity Exchange '
                                         'Marauder March 2021)',
                          'source_name': 'Operation Exchange Marauder'},
                         {'description': 'Gruzweig, J. et al. (2021, March 2). '
                                         'Operation Exchange Marauder: Active '
                                         'Exploitation of Multiple Zero-Day '
                                         'Microsoft Exchange Vulnerabilities. '
                                         'Retrieved March 3, 2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Volexity Exchange Marauder March '
                                         '2021',
                          'url': 'https://www.volexity.com/blog/2021/03/02/active-exploitation-of-microsoft-exchange-zero-day-vulnerabilities/'},
                         {'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 Threat Intelligence . '
                                         '(2025, March 5). Silk Typhoon '
                                         'targeting IT supply chain. Retrieved '
                                         'March 20, 2025.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft Silk Typhoon MAR 2025',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2025/03/05/silk-typhoon-targeting-it-supply-chain/'},
                         {'description': 'MSTIC. (2021, March 2). HAFNIUM '
                                         'targeting Exchange Servers with '
                                         '0-day exploits. Retrieved March 3, '
                                         '2021.',
                          'source_name': 'Microsoft HAFNIUM March 2020',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/03/02/hafnium-targeting-exchange-servers/'}],
 'id': 'intrusion-set--2688b13e-8e71-405a-9c40-0dee94bddf87',
 'modified': '2025-03-25T18:04:13.368Z',
 'name': 'HAFNIUM',
 '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': ['Daniyal Naeem, BT Security',
                          'Matt Brenton, Zurich Insurance Group',
                          'Mayuresh Dani, Qualys',
                          'Harshal Tupsamudre, Qualys',
                          'Vinayak Wadhwa, SAFE Security'],
 '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 (44)
Data from Local System
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Remote Email Collection
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Automated Collection
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Data from Cloud Storage
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