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![Clock Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-clock.svg) 6 min read * ![Profile Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-profile-grey.svg) By: * [Del Rodillas](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/del-rodillas/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:July 18, 2014 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [DragonFly](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dragonfly/) * [Havex](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/havex/) * [ICS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ics/) * [ICS-CERT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ics-cert/) * [Trojan](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/trojan/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/havex-game-changing-threat-industrial-control-systems-part-2/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=edee969a51 "Click here to download") * [![Print Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-print.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/havex-game-changing-threat-industrial-control-systems-part-2/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=edee969a51 "Click here to print") Share![Down arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/down-arrow.svg) * ![Link Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-share-link.svg) * [![Link 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Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-reddit-share.svg)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com//www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fhavex-game-changing-threat-industrial-control-systems-part-2%2F&ts=markdown "Share in Reddit") * [![Mastodon Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-mastodon-share.svg)](https://mastodon.social/share?text=Why%20Havex%20Is%20a%20Game-Changing%20Threat%20to%20Industrial%20Control%20Systems%20–%20Part%202%20https%3A%2F%2Funit42.paloaltonetworks.com%2Fhavex-game-changing-threat-industrial-control-systems-part-2%2F "Share in Mastodon") *In [part 1](https://bit.ly/UcBL2K) of this 2-part blog series, we discussed why the Havex Trojan is a significant and concerning industry milestone. Here, in part 2, we look at how you can mitigate your exposure through the combination of good practices and next-generation firewall technology.* In my initial engagements with control systems operators interested in our technology, two security objectives, both linked with the objective of keeping uptime high, frequently come up. First, the operations manager, or person responsible for security in the operational technology (OT) environment, is concerned over whether only the approved users are using the right applications and resources in the specific usage model intended for SCADA. This person, at the very basic level, would want to be able to validate that the system is used only in a way that aligns with the business objectives, ultimately with the goal of implementing role-based access control. In this person's mind, an internal user accidentally causing system downtime is as much a cyberthreat as an incident malicious in nature. Second, there is a concern that malware, especially APTs that have never been seen in the wild, would, by accident or on purpose, get introduced into the network disrupting service availability. Not surprisingly, I often find that a couple of core capabilities critical for achieving these security objectives, namely protocol/application layer visibility and zero-day threat detection, are not yet deployed in their OT environment. Most operators only have legacy stateful inspection firewalls (port-level visibility) plus add-ons like IPS/AV (block known threats). Whether they've been lax in upgrading their technology, or for some other reason, these operators are finding that their technologies have simply run out of steam and cannot provide the type of visibility, security controls, and threat prevention required to combat advanced threats. It is imperative that asset owners take a fresh look at better techniques and tools that can help improve security posture to the required level and reduce downtime due to cyberincidents. So what are some of these options? ### Set Yourself Up for Success With Proper Segmentation Technology is a critical piece of the cybersecurity equation, but its benefits are limited if you don't have a clear understanding of risk, if you don't have a clear set of access control policies, and/or if you haven't segmented your network in a way that aligns with these risks and policies. As always, the [IEC 62443 standard](https://isa99.isa.org/Documents/Drafts/ISA-62443-1-1-WD.pdf) is the gold standard for network segmentation in industrial control systems. Segmentation and access control, especially when done with a least-privilege approach, are key in that they reduce your attack footprint and establish a baseline from which anomalies could be easily detected. In the context of the security concerns raised by Havex, some basic but important questions to ask yourself around access control and segmentation include: * Do you have **enough security zones and points of inspection between zones**, a.k.a. conduits in IEC 62443 terms, to validate compliance to policy or to be able to implement controls? For example, while you may isolate the OT from IT with a perimeter firewall, are you able to observe intra-OT traffic such as HMI/Workstation to Server, PCN to Plant/PLC, and interplant traffic? It will be very difficult to see the fingerprints of APTs if you have a flat SCADA/ICS network. * Have you **clearly defined which users and machines** are allowed to access which applications, and from which zones these policies are relevant? What file/data types are allowed to traverse your network? * If direct internet connectivity is allowed, \*\*do you have a list of which domains/IP addresses are allowed,\*\*and which users are allowed to access those sites? You may be clear on what is and isn't allowed to enter the ICS environment, but what about what goes out? These aren't easy tasks, but they have to be done up front. The fact that SCADA/ICS systems are purpose built with a very specific set of users and applications should help in terms of containing the effort of creating access policies. ### Advanced Segmentation and Access Control with App-ID, User-ID and Content-ID Clearly, effective segmentation and access control is dependent on the ability to control protocols/application based on user and the ability to inspect content. The great thing about the Palo Alto Networks platform is that it was designed from the ground up with this concept in mind. Our App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID technologies are at the heart of our platform. **App-ID** provides visibility to protocols and applications, versus just ports/services. For example, App-ID is able to identify ICS protocols such as OPC, DNP3, Modbus, BACnet, OSIsoft PI, and others. Functional App-IDs are also available for some protocols like Modbus and IEC 60870-5-104 to enable resolution at the read/write level. App-IDs not currently in our [Applipedia database](https://applipedia.paloaltonetworks.com/) can be built by users on-box as custom App-IDs. Alternatively, users can request Palo Alto Networks to create widely available App-IDs that would then become part of our Applipedia repository. **User-ID** is the technology that allows role-based access control by mapping IP addresses to user (or user group). A variety of user information repositories and authentication events could be used for this purpose. Finally, **Content-ID** is what is used to inspect the payloads (e.g. files, data types, URLs, threats). It is important to note that packets are processed for App-ID, User-ID, and Content-ID in parallel, and in a single pass providing not only high-performance, but also shared context. which is equally as important in terms of correlation analysis. Let's take an example of how App-ID and User-ID may be applied in unison to enable role-based access for OPC. Actually, your OPC policy within the SCADA may be very different from the OPC policy you have at the IT-OT boundary. For example, at the perimeter you may allow only a certain set of users, say finance users in the Active Directory group "SCADA\_finance" access to the OPC application so that they can get access to a primary or replicated historian in the SCADA zone or SCADA DMZ zone. This can all be defined in single policy that involves no opening up of ports. Furthermore, the Palo Alto Networks appliance uses a positive enforcement approach meaning no other traffic but that allowed in policy will pass through by default. Within the OT, you might allow all users in the "SCADA Ops" AD group access to OPC. This might be very different for a 3rd party vendor that needs to access your network to service their products that do not use OPC. To limit the risk of the 3rd party accidentally or intentionally accessing resources via OPC while letting them do their job, one could also define another role-based policy. For example, you could define a rule that allows the vendor access to another ICS protocol only between relevant security zones. You could also define a 3rd party zone that has jump servers and another PLC Zone where that vendors products reside. While we use OPC as an example, these same kinds of policies could just as easily be applied for other ICS protocols and applications as well as common administrative protocols, such as SSH, FTP, and SNMP, that are often used in SCADA networks. ### Block Known Threats Access control via App-ID and User-ID helps to reduce your attack footprint as well as the risk of accidental cyber incidents such as erroneous programming by less experienced personnel. This takes us to the next core technology, Content-ID, which is at the heart of our Threat Prevention service. This service blocks malicious payloads, such as exploits, viruses, and spyware/CNC (command and control), and also helps to further reduce your footprint by controlling access to URLs/Domains. As far as our ability to block Havex, you can see from [John Harrison's recent blog](https://bit.ly/VPUT7Z) that users of Palo Alto Networks are protected from threats associated with Havex with mitigations for AV, Spyware/CNC, and URL/Domain. John also gives best practices for leveraging the full threat prevention capabilities of our platform. ### Detect Zero Day Attacks and Quickly Convert Them to Known Threats Okay so what about the never-before seen variants of Havex? The next thing to put in place is a means to detect zero-day malware. Our Wildfire service isolates suspicious payloads entering your network, detonates them in a virtual sandbox environment, and determines if payloads are benign or malicious in nature. Subscribers to the Wildfire service get protections against malicious payloads in as little as 30 minutes. Wildfire is available as a public cloud based service or as an on-premise, private cloud version called the WF-500. As far as Wildfire's ability to detect Havex as a zero day, [John Harrison's earlier blog](https://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/2014/07/palo-alto-networks-offers-threat-mitigation-havex-dragonfly-variants/) also discusses how Wildfire has seen various samples of Havex with successful determination of the samples as being malicious. ### Building a Better Bear Trap with Endpoint Security Palo Alto Networks recently acquired startup Cyvera, whose innovative endpoint protection technology changes the game in terms of client protection against advanced threats. The way the technology works is rather than trying to block the large and quickly growing universe of known malware and exploits, it blocks the techniques themselves. The universe of techniques is on the order of a couple dozen and grows very slowly, therefore this approach much more effective. We look forward to the General Availability of our endpoint security products later this year. Customers on our platform will have true end-to-end security, which spans the network all the way to SCADA endpoints such as HMIs, SCADA/MES/EMS servers, workstations and PLCs. The Palo Alto Networks platform provides tremendous capabilities in securing ICS and SCADA networks from advanced threats like Havex. Furthermore, it has the flexibility to adapt and be just as effective in securing networks as these threats inevitably evolve. ### Learn more on how Palo Alto Networks secures ICS \& SCADA * Download the SCADA and ICS Solution [brochure](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/resources/techbriefs/scada-ics-solution-brief.html) * Watch the on-demand [webinar](https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/10903/114215) with the SANS Institute, Defending ICS from Cyberthreats with Next-generation Security Back to top ### Tags * [DragonFly](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dragonfly/ "DragonFly") * [Havex](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/havex/ "Havex") * [ICS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ics/ "ICS") * [ICS-CERT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ics-cert/ "ICS-CERT") * [Trojan](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/trojan/ "Trojan") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Black Hat 2014 Is Right Around the Corner...](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/black-hat-2014-right-around-corner/ "Black Hat 2014 Is Right Around the Corner…") ### Related Articles * [Threat Brief: Widespread Impact of the Axios Supply Chain Attack](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/axios-supply-chain-attack/ "article - table of contents") * [Converging Interests: Analysis of Threat Clusters Targeting a Southeast Asian Government](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/espionage-campaigns-target-se-asian-government-org/ "article - table of contents") * [Multiple Vulnerabilities Discovered in a SCADA System](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/vulnerabilities-in-iconics-software-suite/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Malware Resources ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. Close-up of a person wearing glasses, with computer code reflected in the lenses.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/12_Security-Technology_Category_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 10, 2026 [#### The Machine With Many Faces: Post-Exploitation Identity Misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kubernetes-spiffe-spire-identity-spoofing/) * [API](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/api/ "API") * [Cryptographic](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cryptographic/ "cryptographic") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kubernetes-spiffe-spire-identity-spoofing/ "The Machine With Many Faces: Post-Exploitation Identity Misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE") ![Pictorial representation of a pay-per-install threat group campaign prodiving infection service for spreading malware. A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip, symbolizing data processing and transfer. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-6-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 9, 2026 [#### Untracked Nightmares: The Threats Hiding Behind Commodity Infrastructure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ppi-network-malware-campaign-analysis/) * [ARKTunnel](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/arktunnel/ "ARKTunnel") * [C2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/c2/ "C2") * [CL-CRI-1171](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cl-cri-1171/ "CL-CRI-1171") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ppi-network-malware-campaign-analysis/ "Untracked Nightmares: The Threats Hiding Behind Commodity Infrastructure") ![Pictorial representation of attackers using AI tools to target Latin American organizations. A vibrant cityscape with silhouettes of numerous people walking along a bustling street. The scene is illuminated by bright urban lights and digital-like particles, creating a dynamic and futuristic atmosphere.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AdobeStock_768915868-2-1-786x373.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) September 3, 2026 [#### Attackers Expose Ongoing AI Tool Use Targeting Organizations in Latin America](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-tool-use-targeting-latam-orgs/) * [Agentic AI](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/agentic-ai/ "Agentic AI") * [ChatGPT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chatgpt/ "ChatGPT") * [CL-CRI-1131](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cl-cri-1131/ "CL-CRI-1131") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-tool-use-targeting-latam-orgs/ "Attackers Expose Ongoing AI Tool Use Targeting Organizations in Latin America") ![Pictorial representation of vishing campaigns in Microsoft Teams. A digital image of a skull formed by blue binary code on a black background, with scattered ones and zeros and digital noise, symbolizes how stealthy prompt injection attacks can exploit AI logic to bypass security controls.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/01_Malware_Category_1920x900-5-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 31, 2026 [#### Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/) * [Cloaked Ursa](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloaked-ursa/ "Cloaked Ursa") * [Entra ID](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/entra-id/ "Entra ID") * [Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/microsoft-teams/ "Microsoft Teams") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/ "Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams") ![Pictorial representation of AI-enabled malware. A vibrant digital interface displaying various icons and graphs, resembling a futuristic network or data analysis dashboard. The scene is illuminated with glowing lights and patterns.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1270203474-2-1-786x368.png) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 25, 2026 [#### The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/) * [Backdoor](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/backdoor/ "backdoor") * [Bitcoin](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bitcoin/ "Bitcoin") * [DLL hijacking](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dll-hijacking/ "DLL hijacking") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/ "The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution") ![Pictorial representation of identity abuse through trusted communication channels. Close-up view of a digital screen displaying a glitched and pixelated image of a skull-like shape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/02_Malware_Category_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 20, 2026 [#### Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/) * [Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/authentication/ "authentication") * [Identity theft](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/identity-theft/ "identity theft") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware/ "malware") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/ "Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels") ![Pictorial representation of Kimwolf botnet malware family. Digital screen with a warning sign reading "Malware." The background features lines of computer code and graphics, creating a sense of cybersecurity threat.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/07_Malware_Category_1920x900-3-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 11, 2026 [#### Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/) * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/ "Android APK") * [Ethereum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ethereum/ "Ethereum") * [HTTP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/http/ "HTTP") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/ "Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet") ![Pictorial representatiom pf Aeternum's blockchain C2. A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-4-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 10, 2026 [#### The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum's Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/) * [Aeternum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aeternum/ "Aeternum") * [Infection chain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infection-chain/ "infection chain") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/ "The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum’s Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications") ![Pictorial representation of ChainDrop, a self-propagating npm worm. An artistic depiction of a digital workspace featuring an open laptop with a red virus on the screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_Malware_Category_1920x900-7-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) August 6, 2026 [#### ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/) * [Blockchain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/blockchain/ "blockchain") * [ChainDrop](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chaindrop/ "ChainDrop") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/ "ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm") ![Pictorial representation of Token-jacking. A person types on a laptop with multiple digital interface elements projected, including an "AI" icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1246251272-2-786x369.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 6, 2026 [#### Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/) * [AI API](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-api/ "AI API") * [AI gateway](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ai-gateway/ "AI gateway") * [API keys](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/api-keys/ "API keys") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-token-jacking/ "Token Jacking: Cybercriminals Could Be Stealing Your AI Resources") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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