Ethical Hacking News
U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have issued a joint advisory warning of potential cyber attacks from Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated threat actors, citing increasing activity from hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors that is expected to escalate due to recent events in the region.
US cybersecurity and intelligence agencies issued a joint advisory warning of potential cyber attacks from Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated threat actors. The advisory warns of the increasing activity from hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors, particularly targeting Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies. U.S. and Israeli entities are at risk of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and ransomware campaigns, according to the advisory. Iranian groups have used remote access tools, keyloggers, and other tactics to evade endpoint defenses and breach operational technology (OT) networks. The advisory recommends several steps to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks from Iranian threat actors, including regular software updates, strong passwords, and multi-factor authentication.
U.S. cybersecurity and intelligence agencies have issued a joint advisory warning of potential cyber attacks from Iranian state-sponsored or affiliated threat actors. The advisory, which was released on June 30, 2025, warns of the increasing activity from hacktivists and Iranian government-affiliated actors that is expected to escalate due to recent events in the region.
The agencies noted that these cyber actors often exploit targets of opportunity based on the use of unpatched or outdated software with known Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) or the use of default or common passwords on internet-connected accounts and devices. This type of attack is particularly concerning for Defense Industrial Base (DIB) companies, which are at an elevated risk due to their ties to Israeli research and defense firms.
The advisory also singles out U.S. and Israeli entities as being potentially exposed to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and ransomware campaigns. The agencies emphasized the need for "increased vigilance" in light of this growing threat landscape.
Iranian groups have previously used remote access tools (RATs), keyloggers, and even legitimate admin utilities like PsExec or Mimikatz to escalate access—all while evading basic endpoint defenses. They have also been found to employ system engineering and diagnostic tools to breach operational technology (OT) networks.
In the past few weeks, there have been reports of Iranian nation-state hacking groups targeting journalists, high-profile cyber security experts, and computer science professors in Israel as part of spear-phishing campaigns designed to capture their Google account credentials using bogus Gmail login pages or Google Meet invitations. Check Point recently revealed that one such group, tracked as APT35, was behind these attacks.
The advisory serves as a reminder for organizations operating in the U.S. and elsewhere to take proactive measures to protect themselves from these emerging threats. The agencies recommend several steps to mitigate the risk of cyber attacks from Iranian threat actors, including:
* Regularly updating software and patching known vulnerabilities
* Using strong, unique passwords on internet-connected accounts and devices
* Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for added security
* Ensuring proper segmentation and configuration of firewalls to prevent lateral movement across networks
* Monitoring user access logs for remote access to the OT network
* Establishing processes that prevent unauthorized changes, loss of view, or loss of control
Organizations should also be aware of the potential for Iranian groups to use reconnaissance tools like Shodan to find vulnerable internet-facing devices, especially in industrial control system (ICS) environments. Once inside, they can exploit weak segmentation or misconfigured firewalls to move laterally across networks.
The advisory from U.S. agencies underscores the growing concern surrounding Iranian cyber threats and emphasizes the need for increased vigilance among organizations operating in the U.S. and elsewhere. By taking proactive measures to protect themselves from these emerging threats, organizations can help prevent potential disruptions to critical infrastructure.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Rising-Iranian-Cyber-Threats-A-Growing-Concern-for-US-Defense-and-Critical-Infrastructure-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/06/us-agencies-warn-of-rising-iranian.html
https://gbhackers.com/cisa-warns-iranian-cyber-threats/
https://www.archyde.com/iran-cyber-threats-us-warning-on-critical-infrastructure/
Published: Tue Jul 1 09:20:40 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
