[![Logo](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PANW_Parent.png)](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/) [![Unit42 Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/unit42-logo-white.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/) Menu * [Tools](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tools/) * [ATOMs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atoms/) * [Security Consulting](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42) * [About Us](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/about-unit-42/) * [**Under Attack?**](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html) * [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") * [Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/ "Threat Research") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/ "Malware") [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) # Surveillance Malware Trends: Tracking Predator Pain and HawkEye ![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: * [Rob Downs](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/rob-downs/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:October 16, 2015 * ![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: * [HawkEye](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/hawkeye/) * [Keyloggers](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/keyloggers/) * [Predator Pain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/predator-pain/) * [![Download Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-download.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/surveillance-malware-trends-tracking-predator-pain-and-hawkeye/?pdf=download&lg=en&_wpnonce=64814e76fb "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/surveillance-malware-trends-tracking-predator-pain-and-hawkeye/?pdf=print&lg=en&_wpnonce=64814e76fb "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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One of the most damaging activities an actor pursues is the theft of authentication information, whether it applies to business or personal accounts. Unless specifically mitigated, this theft often allows an unauthorized actor to masquerade as the victim, either achieving immediate gains or creating a platform from which progressive attack campaigns may launch. There are a number of threats that endanger the critical secrecy of credentials, including poor operational security practices, social engineering, man-in-the-middle attacks, password hash dumping and cracking, and surveillance malware. In this post, Unit 42 examines various trends in a malware threat set within the surveillance malware category: Predator Pain and its latest derivative, HawkEye. ## Threat Background Surveillance malware covers a broad range of capabilities, including: * Capture of keyboard and / or input device (e.g., mouse) activity, with window / process awareness (keylogging) * Taking asset display screen shots or video (display capturing) * Assuming control of cameras and / or microphones attached to an asset (live surveillance) * Interception of network communications (sniffing) Each of these capabilities can be qualified by its scope (i.e., types of information collected) and method (ranging in techniques and sophistication). Additionally, some surveillance software includes its own exfiltration mechanism, while others may depend on external software to accomplish the transfer of captured information. Both Predator Pain and HawkEye are considered **keyloggers** , but they also include additional features, such as web browser and e-mail client **credential dumping** , **display capture** , and **captured information exfiltration**. HawkEye is openly sold on a commercial website, whereas Predator Pain is usually acquired through underground forums. Associated features have made this set of malware popular with malicious actors across a number of motivations; however, the most prevalent motivation remains cyber crime, in which stolen information is directly exploited or sold for financial gain. (A list of additional reading links is found at the end of this blog post for anyone interested in learning more about this specific threat set.) ## Trending and Analysis: July 2015-September 2015 The following sections describe Predator Pain and HawkEye trending and analysis conducted by Unit 42 from July 2015 through September 2015. We leveraged the Palo Alto Networks [AutoFocus](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/products/platforms/subscriptions/autofocus.html) service, under which this threat set is tagged as **PredatorPain**. ### Target Selection Almost all of the adversaries Unit 42 observed employing this malware threat set harvest publicly disclosed or leaked e-mail addresses to construct phishing campaign targeting lists. These lists are mostly indiscriminant, with malicious actors seeking any opportunistic gains they can glean from "shotgun" style attack campaigns. The natural exposure of businesses with publicly advertised e-mail addresses (e.g., sales@\ or info@\) makes for easy targeting of what typically represents key organizational e-mail distributions. In other words, these distributions normally reach a number of staff at the target organization who are motivated by their importance to business, increasing the likelihood of them inadvertently executing malicious code on their systems. ### Threat Volume Figure 1 depicts July to September 2015 sessions (individual occurrences) for this threat set. [![hawkeye1](http://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye1-500x352.jpg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye1.jpg) Figure 1: Predator Pain / HawkEye Sessions, Jul - Sep 2015 Observed sessions revealed an interesting pattern in distribution volume ramping up on Sunday for peaks over Monday through Wednesday, with significant volume dropping from Thursday onward. We believe this corresponds with focused business targeting early in the workweek, per the previously noted targeting process employed by most cyber crime actors. ### Delivery Figure 2 shows the delivery methods observed for the Predator Pain and HawkEye threat set over the period of interest, with e-mail by far being the preferred delivery method for adversaries. [![hawkeye2](http://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye2-500x396.jpg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye2.jpg) Figure 2: Predator Pain / HawkEye delivery methods, Jul - Sep 2015 Exploring respective phishing attacks further revealed the following lure themes: * Notification or issues with product order or shipping * Notification or issues with payment, purchase order, invoice, or billing * Product or service quotation request * Confusing, random, and/or purportedly personal topics Table 1 contains some examples of more common e-mail phishing attack subject and attached filename pairings: |-----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------| | Email Subject | Email Attachment Filename | | Re: Purchase Order | PO #5479423.exe | | M.V. Chuetsu Spirit V.62A - SI / agency appointment / PDI | CHUETSU DREAM V.26A SI HK.scr | | DHL AWB# 34 5673 0015 / shipment | payment.exe | | New Order | ORDER.exe | | Quotation. | purchase order.exe | Table 1: Lure theming examples for e-mail attacks, July - September 2015 Respective malware delivered via malicious e-mail mainly consisted of Microsoft Windows Portable Executable (PE) 32-bit and 64-bit binaries. Microsoft Word or RTF documents constituted the remainder of malicious files. Attempted downloads of this threat from web and FTP sites were also observed; however, these represented drastically lower occurrences (session counts). ### Observed Targeting With these distribution methods in mind, Figure 3 shows an AutoFocus visualization for the 80 countries Unit 42 observed as targeted by the Predator Pain and Hawkeye threat set during the noted time period. [![hawkeye3](http://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye3-500x282.jpg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye3.jpg) Figure 3: AutoFocus view of Predator Pain / HawkEye targeted countries, Jul - Sep 2015 Not surprisingly, the top-ten list of most highly targeted countries includes 7 of the 23 [wealthiest](https://www.businessinsider.com/the-23-richest-countries-in-the-world-2015-7) in the world, based on GDP per capita: * United States * Australia * Canada * Thailand * Taiwan ROC * Kuwait * Japan * Spain * Italy * Sweden The top ten targeted industries accounted for 82% of sessions: * High Tech * Higher Education * Manufacturing * Professional and Legal Services * Transportation and Logistics * Wholesale and Retail * Construction * Media and Entertainment * Telecommunications * Government We suggest three reasons based on this combination of observed countries and industries targeted: * Innovative organizations are prime targets for a number of adversary motivations due to the capabilities and intellectual capital they aggregate. * Service oriented businesses, striving to develop customer relationships are more likely to fall victim to phishing attacks due to both organizational culture and incentives for client and customer engagement. * Natural target saturation occurs within countries with established or thriving infrastructure, enabling malicious actors to reach a broader range of targets remotely through technology. ### Prevalent Malware Capabilities The Predator Pain and HawkEye set of malware is feature rich, compared to most other keyloggers. The following are the capabilities Unit 42 observed as most often enabled for this threat set during the focal time period (ordered by prevalence): * E-mail client credential dump * Web browser credential dump * Collection of system configuration information * Logging of web browser activity * Logging of e-mail activity * Screenshot grabbing ### Exfiltration Method Break-Out This threat set includes three main methods of exfiltration: E-mail, PHP-based Web Panel, and FTP. Figure 4 shows the HawkEye keylogger's settings page, where the method employed by an instance can be specified. [![hawkeye4](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye4.jpg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye4.jpg) Figure 4: HawkEye keylogger settings screen The Predator Pain and HawkEye configurations analyzed by Unit 42 over the focal time period revealed the following break-out for exfiltration method, with e-mail constituting the preferred method across a number of malicious actors: [![hawkeye5](http://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye5-500x391.jpg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/hawkeye5.jpg) Figure 5: Predator Pain / HawkEye exfiltration method break-out, Jul -- Sep 2015 ## Conclusion Prevention is the best strategy when it comes to the threat posed by keyloggers, such as the Predator Pain and HawkEye set. System hardening, integrity assurance, software version and patch management, and user awareness are just the first steps towards threat mitigation. Recommendations to protection against this class of threat include: * **Employ multi-factor authentication:** Knowledge-based authentication relies on the secrecy of information. Including elements of what you have (i.e., hardware token) or what you are (i.e., biometrics) can reduce the value of respective stolen credentials for an adversary if that information only satisfies one level in the authentication process. * **Limit the impact of stolen credential information:** Don't share credentials across accounts and change those credentials periodically. Adversaries commonly engage in activities such as [credential stuffing](https://www.owasp.org/index.php/Credential_stuffing) in an attempt to maximize benefits of stolen credentials. * **Maximize network control and visibility:** The latest Verizon DBIR included the finding that in over 25% of breaches, the organization was notified of the breach through a third party. Inbound, outbound, and internal network traffic needs to be controlled and monitored. This is also useful for disrupting malware C2 and exfiltration channels. * **Integrate anti-malware automated dynamic analysis (e.g., sandboxing):** Identify previously unknown threats before they become much larger problems on the network. Given the anti-detection tools at the disposal of adversaries, this is a modern necessity. * **Implement network segmentation:** Avoid flat networks, where once an adversary is in they have unrestricted access to internal resources. Network segmentation is a best practice for exposing only enough information as is required for specific organizational processes, moving toward a "zero trust" model. In this context, it is about further limiting the access of an adversary should they successful compromise credentials. ## Additional Reading The following are some analyses for the Predator Pain and HawkEye malware threat set that expand on associated capabilities, attributed actors, and observed campaigns: * Palo Alto Networks: [Examining a VBA-Initiated Infostealer Campaign](https://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/2014/10/examining-vba-initiated-infostealer-campaign/) * Palo Alto Networks: [Follow-On to VBA-Initiated Infostealer Campaign: Exploring Related Malware and Actors](https://blog.paloaltonetworks.com/2014/12/follow-vba-initiated-infostealer-campaign-exploring-related-malware-actors/) * Stop Malvertising: [Analysis of the Predator Pain Keylogger](https://stopmalvertising.com/malware-reports/analysis-of-the-predator-pain-keylogger.html) * Trend Micro: [Predator Pain and Limitless - When Cybercrime Turns into Cyberspying](https://www.trendmicro.com/cloud-content/us/pdfs/security-intelligence/white-papers/wp-predator-pain-and-limitless.pdf) (PDF) * iSIGHT Partners: [HawkEye Keylogger Campaigns Affect Multiple Industries](https://www.isightpartners.com/2015/06/hawkeye-keylogger-campaigns-affect-multiple-industries/) * SophosLabs (via Virus Bulletin): [MWI-5: Operation HawkEye](https://www.virusbtn.com/pdf/magazine/2015/vb201510-MWI-5.pdf) (PDF) Back to top ### Tags * [HawkEye](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/hawkeye/ "HawkEye") * [Keyloggers](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/keyloggers/ "keyloggers") * [Predator Pain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/predator-pain/ "Predator Pain") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Connecting the Dots in Cyber Threat Campaigns, Part 1: Domain Name WHOIS Information](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/connecting-the-dots-in-cyber-threat-campaigns-part-1-domain-name-whois-information/ "Connecting the Dots in Cyber Threat Campaigns, Part 1: Domain Name WHOIS Information") ### Table of Contents * ### Related Articles * [How to Track Actors Behind Keyloggers Using Embedded Credentials](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/unit42-how-to-track-actors-behind-keyloggers-using-embedded-credentials/ "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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