Threat Actor Profile
High APT
Description

Saint Bear is a Russian-nexus threat actor active since early 2021, primarily targeting entities in Ukraine and Georgia. The group is notable for a specific remote access tool, Saint Bot, and information stealer, OutSteel in campaigns. Saint Bear typically relies on phishing or web staging of malicious documents and related file types for initial access, spoofing government or related entities.(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 OutSteel SaintBot February 2022 )(Citation: Cadet Blizzard emerges as novel threat actor) Saint Bear has previously been confused with Ember Bear operations, but analysis of behaviors, tools, and targeting indicates these are distinct clusters.

Confidence Score
90%
Known Aliases
Saint Bear Storm-0587 TA471 UAC-0056 Lorec53
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 (18)
T1027.002 - Software Packing
Defense Evasion
T1027.013 - Encrypted/Encoded File
Defense Evasion
T1112 - Modify Registry
Defense Evasion
T1497 - Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Defense Evasion
T1553.002 - Code Signing
Defense Evasion
T1562.001 - Disable or Modify Tools
Defense Evasion
T1656 - Impersonation
Defense Evasion
T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter
Execution
T1059.001 - PowerShell
Execution
T1059.003 - Windows Command Shell
Execution
T1059.007 - JavaScript
Execution
T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution
Execution
T1204.001 - Malicious Link
Execution
T1204.002 - Malicious File
Execution
T1566.001 - Spearphishing Attachment
Initial Access
T1589.002 - Email Addresses
Reconnaissance
T1583.006 - Web Services
Resource Development
T1608.001 - Upload Malware
Resource Development
Indicators of Compromise

Loading IOCs…

IOC KQL for Sentinel
STIX Data
{'aliases': ['Saint Bear', 'Storm-0587', 'TA471', 'UAC-0056', 'Lorec53'],
 'created': '2024-05-25T16:11:54.881Z',
 'created_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'description': '[Saint Bear](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1031) is a '
                'Russian-nexus threat actor active since early 2021, primarily '
                'targeting entities in Ukraine and Georgia. The group is '
                'notable for a specific remote access tool, [Saint '
                'Bot](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S1018), and '
                'information stealer, '
                '[OutSteel](https://attack.mitre.org/software/S1017) in '
                'campaigns. [Saint '
                'Bear](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1031) typically relies '
                'on phishing or web staging of malicious documents and related '
                'file types for initial access, spoofing government or related '
                'entities.(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 OutSteel SaintBot '
                'February 2022 )(Citation: Cadet Blizzard emerges as novel '
                'threat actor) [Saint '
                'Bear](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1031) has previously '
                'been confused with [Ember '
                'Bear](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1003) operations, but '
                'analysis of behaviors, tools, and targeting indicates these '
                'are distinct clusters.',
 'external_references': [{'external_id': 'G1031',
                          'source_name': 'mitre-attack',
                          'url': 'https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1031'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Cadet Blizzard emerges as '
                                         'novel threat actor)',
                          'source_name': 'Storm-0587'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 '
                                         'OutSteel SaintBot February 2022 )',
                          'source_name': 'TA471'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 '
                                         'OutSteel SaintBot February 2022 )',
                          'source_name': 'UAC-0056'},
                         {'description': '(Citation: Palo Alto Unit 42 '
                                         'OutSteel SaintBot February 2022 )',
                          'source_name': 'Lorec53'},
                         {'description': 'Microsoft Threat Intelligence. '
                                         '(2023, June 14). Cadet Blizzard '
                                         'emerges as a novel and distinct '
                                         'Russian threat actor. Retrieved July '
                                         '10, 2023.',
                          'source_name': 'Cadet Blizzard emerges as novel '
                                         'threat actor',
                          'url': 'https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/06/14/cadet-blizzard-emerges-as-a-novel-and-distinct-russian-threat-actor/'},
                         {'description': 'Unit 42. (2022, February 25). Spear '
                                         'Phishing Attacks Target '
                                         'Organizations in Ukraine, Payloads '
                                         'Include the Document Stealer '
                                         'OutSteel and the Downloader '
                                         'SaintBot. Retrieved June 9, 2022.',
                          'source_name': 'Palo Alto Unit 42 OutSteel SaintBot '
                                         'February 2022 ',
                          'url': 'https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ukraine-targeted-outsteel-saintbot/'}],
 'id': 'intrusion-set--674582ec-51c4-42ce-b409-797239e37a2a',
 'modified': '2024-08-12T17:32:47.430Z',
 'name': 'Saint Bear',
 '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_deprecated': False,
 'x_mitre_domains': ['enterprise-attack'],
 'x_mitre_modified_by_ref': 'identity--c78cb6e5-0c4b-4611-8297-d1b8b55e40b5',
 'x_mitre_version': '1.0'}
Quick Actions
Related TTPs (18)
Software Packing
Defense Evasion

Encrypted/Encoded File
Defense Evasion

Modify Registry
Defense Evasion

Virtualization/Sandbox Evasion
Defense Evasion

Code Signing
Defense Evasion