Threat Actor Profile
Cosmic Wolf
Cosmic Wolf is a Turkey-linked espionage group active since 2017, known for DNS hijacking, cloud credential theft, and targeting telecommunications infrastructure. The group operates under multiple aliases, including Sea Turtle, Teal Kurma, and Marbled Dust.
Threat Actor Profile
Cosmic Wolf
Country of Origin
Turkey is the assessed country of origin for Cosmic Wolf operations. Multiple cybersecurity vendors have linked this threat actor to Turkish intelligence objectives, with campaigns consistently aligned with Turkey's foreign policy interests and regional priorities. The group's targeting patterns and operational timing strongly suggest state-sponsored activities supporting Turkish national security goals.
Members
The exact size and composition of Cosmic Wolf remain undisclosed. Cybersecurity researchers have not identified specific member counts or individual operator details. Based on the sophistication and scope of their operations across multiple sectors and geographic regions, security analysts assess this to be a well-resourced group with specialized technical capabilities, suggesting a structured organization rather than a small cell.
Leadership
Leadership details for Cosmic Wolf remain unknown to the public reporting. Like many state-sponsored threat actors, the group maintains strict operational security regarding personnel identification. No specific names, aliases, or organizational hierarchy have been disclosed in available threat intelligence reports from major cybersecurity vendors.
Cosmic Wolf TTPs
Tactics
Cosmic Wolf focuses on espionage and intelligence collection operations. Their primary goals include intercepting communications, accessing sensitive government and corporate data, and maintaining persistent access to target networks. The group particularly emphasizes targeting telecommunications infrastructure to gain broad visibility into victim communications and data flows.
Techniques
The group employs sophisticated credential theft techniques, often stealing legitimate user credentials to access cloud environments and administrative systems. They excel at DNS manipulation attacks, redirecting traffic to attacker-controlled infrastructure. Service provider compromise represents another key technique, where they target internet service providers and domain registrars to gain wider access to customer networks.
Procedures
Specific procedures include using stolen credentials for command-line interactions with cloud platforms, particularly targeting cloud-hosted email and file storage systems. They conduct careful reconnaissance within victim networks before lateral movement to high-value data repositories. The group demonstrates strong operational security practices, using custom tooling and maintaining long-term access without detection.
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Notable Cyberattacks
In 2021, CrowdStrike reported a significant cloud-targeting incident where Cosmic Wolf used stolen credentials to access cloud-hosted data through command-line interfaces. Multiple campaigns throughout 2023-2024 expanded their operations across Europe and the Middle East, with particular focus on targets in the Netherlands. Their historic DNS hijacking campaigns brought initial public attention to the group's capabilities, demonstrating sophisticated manipulation of domain name system infrastructure to intercept and redirect communications.
Law Enforcement & Arrests
No public information indicates arrests or law enforcement operations specifically targeting Cosmic Wolf operators. Like many state-sponsored threat actors, the group benefits from operating within a jurisdiction that may not cooperate with international law enforcement efforts. The group continues active operations as of recent threat intelligence reporting.
How to Defend Against Cosmic Wolf
Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Prevent unauthorized credential use
Implement Privileged Access Controls: Restrict and monitor privileged access to critical systems and accounts.
Monitor DNS and Domain Registrar Activity: Set up alerts for unauthorized DNS record changes. Track unusual domain registrar access patterns and unexpected delegation modifications.
Enhance Network Monitoring: Analyze cloud provider audit logs and authentication events for anomalies. Use behavioral analytics to detect suspicious access patterns.
Leverage Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Deploy Huntress Managed EDR to monitor lateral movement patterns associated with threat actors like Cosmic Wolf. Utilize 24/7 SOC capabilities to identify suspicious cloud console access and unusual API activity.
Protect High-Value Microsoft 365 Environments: Use Huntress Managed ITDR to safeguard Microsoft 365 accounts, a common target for advanced threat actors.
Huntress Managed EDR provides continuous monitoring for the lateral movement patterns typical of Cosmic Wolf operations. Our 24/7 SOC can identify suspicious cloud console access and unusual API activity that might indicate credential compromise. Huntress Managed ITDR specifically protects Microsoft 365 environments that represent high-value targets for this threat actor.
References
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