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Published:November 17, 2023 * ![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/) * [Nation-State Cyberattacks](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/nation-state-cyberattacks/) * [Threat Actor Groups](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-actor-groups/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Advanced Persistent Threat](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/advanced-persistent-threat/) * [C2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/c2/) * [China](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/china/) * [Stately Taurus](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/stately-taurus/) * [![Download 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In early August, a [Chinese Coast Guard vessel fired its water cannon at a Philippine vessel](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-66419333) that was performing a resupply mission to the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly Islands. Since then, [the Philippines has announced joint patrols with the United States](https://www.rfa.org/english/news/southchinasea/philippines-usa-southchinasea-08092023100820.html), and [naval exercises with Australia](https://news.usni.org/2023/08/21/australian-amphib-hmas-canberra-in-the-philippines-for-drills-admist-south-china-sea-tensions). It has been reported that the Philippine Coast Guard has both [terminated a hotline established with their Chinese counterparts](https://asiatimes.com/2023/08/philippines-cuts-china-hotline-as-sea-tensions-spike/) and acted to [remove Chinese barriers placed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-remove-barrier-placed-by-china-south-china-sea-national-security-2023-09-25/). Coinciding with these real-world events, Unit 42 researchers observed three Stately Taurus campaigns during the month of August. These campaigns are assessed to have targeted entities in the South Pacific including the Philippines government. The campaigns leveraged legitimate software including Solid PDF Creator and SmadavProtect (an Indonesian-based antivirus solution) to sideload malicious files. Threat actors also creatively configured the malware to impersonate legitimate Microsoft traffic for command and control (C2) connections. Stately Taurus (aka Mustang Panda, Bronze President, Red Delta, Luminous Moth, Earth Preta and Camaro Dragon) has been operating since at least 2012. It is assessed to be a Chinese advanced persistent threat (APT) group that routinely conducts cyberespionage campaigns. This group has historically targeted government entities and nonprofits, as well as religious and other non-governmental organizations across North America, Europe and Asia. Palo Alto Networks customers receive protection from the threats described in this article through [Cortex XDR](https://docs-cortex.paloaltonetworks.com/p/XDR) and [WildFire](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/wildfire) malware analysis. | **Related Unit 42 Topics** | [**China**](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/china/), **[APT](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/apt/), [Stately Taurus](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/stately-taurus/)** | |----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ## Campaigns Unit 42 observed three Stately Taurus campaigns during the month of August. ### Campaign 1 The first campaign was observed on Aug. 1, 2023, when we identified a Stately Taurus malware package that was hosted for download on Google Drive. Threat operators configured this malware package as a ZIP file named 230728 meeting minutes.zip. Upon extracting this archive, unsuspecting victims are presented with the view shown in Figure 1. ![Image 1 is a screenshot of zip archive contents for the 230728 meeting minutes. The contents are 20230728 meeting minutes.exe. The name, date modified and type and size information are included.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/word-image-131344-1-1.png) Figure 1. ZIP archive contents. By default, victims are presented with a visible application (20230728 meeting minutes.exe) that contains a PDF icon. This file is in fact a legitimate copy of Solid PDF Creator software that has been renamed. However, what victims don't see is that this folder contains a second hidden file named SolidPDFCreator.dll. Any attempt to execute the legitimate Solid PDF Creator software will result in the side-loading of the malicious DLL contained in the same folder. Once loaded, the malicious DLL then establishes a connection with 45.121.146\[.\]113 to facilitate C2. We assess that an entity associated with the Philippines government saw this first malware package as early as Aug. 1, 2023. ### Campaign 2 We subsequently identified a second Stately Taurus malware campaign on Aug. 3, 2023. This malware package was configured as a ZIP file named NUG's Foreign Policy Strategy.zip. In this case, the acronym "NUG" is believed to be a reference to the National Unity Government of Myanmar. Upon extracting this archive, victims are presented with a view that is similar to the first campaign, which is shown in Figure 2. ![Image 2 is a screenshot of zip archive contents for NUG’s Foreign Policy Strategy. The file is NUG’s Foreign Policy Strategy.exe. The hidden SolidPDFCreator.dll is also in the contents. The name, date modified and type and size information are included.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/word-image-131344-2-1.png) Figure 2. ZIP archive contents. Here we see a legitimate copy of Solid PDF Creator software that has been renamed as NUG's Foreign Policy Strategy.exe. We also see the hidden SolidPDFCreator.dll file that is side-loaded when the application is launched. However, what is deceiving about this sample is that this ZIP file also contains additional files hidden in the path: NUG's Foreign Policy Strategy\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\#\\ After traversing 11 folders named #, we identified three additional files, shown in Figure 3. ![Image 3 is a screenshot of the contents of the pound sign folder. The information listed includes timestamps, number of files, and folder contents.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/word-image-131344-3-1.png) Figure 3. Contents of # folder. In terms of process flow, upon executing the visible NUG's Foreign Policy Strategy.exe binary, the threat side-loads SolidPDFCreator.dll. This DLL then copies these three files (errordetails, SmadavProtect32.exe and Smadhook32c.dll) to the victim's home directory and establishes a registry key (HKEY\_CURRENT\_USER\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Run\\AHealthDB) to call SmadavProtect32.exe when a user logs on. SmadavProtect32.exe is a legitimate and benign copy of an Indonesian antivirus program called SmadAV. Upon login, SmadavProtect32.exe will load the malicious DLL (SmadHook32c.dll) and then the malware (errordetails) contained in the same folder. Once running, the malware is configured to call home to 45.121.146\[.\]113 for C2. ### Campaign 3 The third campaign is structurally identical to the first campaign, and it was created on Aug. 16, 2023. However, the ZIP and EXE filenames use Labour Statement.zip instead of 230728 meeting minutes from the first example. Upon extracting the contents of the ZIP file, victims are presented with two files. The first file, called Labour Statement.exe, is a benign copy of Solid PDF Creator software. The second file is a malicious DLL named SolidPDFCreator.dll. Following execution of the application, the malicious DLL is loaded, and it establishes a connection to 45.121.146\[.\]113 for C2 consistent with the previous two campaigns. ## C2 Infrastructure The IP address 45.121.146\[.\]113 was first associated with Stately Taurus during a series of campaigns launched in June 2023. We assess that the actors continued to leverage this infrastructure throughout the month of August 2023. However, one interesting aspect of the C2 activity is that the actors attempted to disguise it as legitimate Microsoft traffic, as shown in Figure 4. ![Image 4 is a screenshot of the malware POST statement. It includes information such as the host, user agent, connection and connect length, etc.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/word-image-131344-4-1.png) Figure 4. Malware POST statement. Specifically, in the POST statements the malware sets the host field to wcpstatic.microsoft\[.\]com despite the traffic being directed to an IP address in Malaysia that has no relation to any legitimate Microsoft services. Additionally, in monitoring traffic associated with the C2 server, we identified multiple connections between Aug. 10 and Aug. 15, 2023, originating from Philippines government infrastructure. Given traffic to the known malicious C2 server, we assess a Philippines government entity was likely compromised during these campaigns, at least for the five-day period in August 2023. ## Conclusion During the month of August, Stately Taurus actors launched at least three campaigns targeting entities in the South Pacific. We assess that at least one of these campaigns directly targeted the Philippines government and that the actors were successful in their attempts to compromise a government entity for five days in August. Stately Taurus continues to demonstrate its ability to conduct persistent cyberespionage operations as one of the most active Chinese APTs. These operations target a variety of entities globally that align with geopolitical topics of interest to the Chinese government. We encourage organizations to leverage our findings to inform the deployment of protective measures to defend against this threat group. ### Protection Recommendations To defend against the threats described in this blog, Palo Alto Networks recommends organizations employ the following capabilities: * Network Security: Delivered through a Next-Generation Firewall (NGFW) configured with machine learning-enabled, and best-in-class, cloud-delivered security services. This includes, for example, threat prevention, URL filtering, DNS security and a malware prevention engine capable of identifying and blocking malicious samples and infrastructure. * Endpoint Security: Delivered through an XDR solution that can identify malicious code through the use of advanced machine learning and behavioral analytics. This solution should be configured to act on and block threats in real time as they are identified. * Security Automation: Delivered through an XSOAR or XSIAM solution capable of providing SOC analysts with a comprehensive understanding of the threat derived by stitching together data obtained from endpoints, network, cloud and identity systems. ### Protections and Mitigations Palo Alto Networks customers receive protection from the threats discussed above through the following products: * [Advanced WildFire](https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/wildfire) cloud-delivered malware analysis service accurately identifies the malware described in this blog as malicious. * [Cortex XDR](https://docs-cortex.paloaltonetworks.com/p/XDR) prevents the execution of known malware and also prevents the execution on unknown malware using Behavioral Threat Protection and machine learning based on the Local Analysis module. If you think you might have been compromised or have an urgent matter, get in touch with the [Unit 42 Incident Response team](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html) or call: * North America Toll-Free: 866.486.4842 (866.4.UNIT42) * EMEA: +31.20.299.3130 * APAC: +65.6983.8730 * Japan: +81.50.1790.0200 Palo Alto Networks has shared these findings with our fellow Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) members. CTA members use this intelligence to rapidly deploy protections to their customers and to systematically disrupt malicious cyber actors. Learn more about the [Cyber Threat Alliance](https://www.cyberthreatalliance.org). ## Indicators of Compromise ### Stately Taurus Samples * bebde82e636e27aa91e2e60c6768f30beb590871ea3a3e8fb6aedbd9f5c154c5 * 24c6449a9e234b07772db8fdb944457a23eecbd6fbb95bc0b1398399de798584 * ba7c456f229adc4bd75bfb876814b4deaf6768ffe95a03021aead03e55e92c7c * 969b4b9c889fbec39fae365ff4d7e5b1064dad94030a691e5b9c8479fc63289c * 3597563aebb80b4bf183947e658768d279a77f24b661b05267c51d02cb32f1c9 * d57304415240d7c08b2fbada718a5c0597c3ef67c765e1daf4516ee4b4bdc768 * 54be4a5e76bdca2012db45b1c5a8d1a9345839b91cc2984ca80ae2377ca48f51 * 2b05a04cd97d7547c8c1ac0c39810d00b18ba3375b8feac78a82a2f9a314a596 ### Infrastructure * 45\.121.146\[.\]113 * hxxps://drive.google\[.\]com/uc?id=1QLIQXP-s42TtZsONsKLAAtOr4Pdxljcu ## Additional Resources * [Cyberespionage Attacks Against Southeast Asian Government Linked to Stately Taurus](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/stately-taurus-attacks-se-asian-government/) -- Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks * [Stealthy USB](https://blog.checkpoint.com/security/stealthy-usb-new-versions-of-chinese-espionage-malware-propagating-through-usb-devices-found-by-check-point-research/) - Check Point * [Chinese Threat Actors Targeting Europe in SmugX Campaign](https://research.checkpoint.com/2023/chinese-threat-actors-targeting-europe-in-smugx-campaign/) - Checkpoint Back to top ### Tags * [Advanced Persistent Threat](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/advanced-persistent-threat/ "Advanced Persistent Threat") * [C2](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/c2/ "C2") * [China](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/china/ "China") * [Stately Taurus](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/stately-taurus/ "Stately Taurus") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: In-Depth Analysis of July 2023 Exploit Chain Featuring CVE-2023-36884 and CVE-2023-36584](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/new-cve-2023-36584-discovered-in-attack-chain-used-by-russian-apt/ "In-Depth Analysis of July 2023 Exploit Chain Featuring CVE-2023-36884 and CVE-2023-36584") ### Table of Contents * ### Related Articles * [Untracked Nightmares: The Threats Hiding Behind Commodity Infrastructure](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ppi-network-malware-campaign-analysis/ "article - table of contents") * [TuxBot v3: Inside an IoT Botnet Framework With LLM-Assisted Development](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tuxbot-v3-evolution-iot-botnet/ "article - table of contents") * [Tracking Iranian APT Screening Serpens' 2026 Espionage Campaigns](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tracking-iran-apt-screening-serpens/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Resources ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. 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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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