Mandiant: North Korean hacking groups are increasing social engineering attacks targeting cryptocurrency and fintech companies

ChainCatcher reports that, according to Cointelegraph, the U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant, a subsidiary of Google Cloud, has discovered that North Korea-linked threat groups are increasing social engineering attacks targeting cryptocurrency and fintech companies.

The threat group (codenamed UNC1069) has deployed seven malicious software suites, including newly discovered SILENCELIFT, DEEPBREATH, and CHROMEPUSH, aimed at obtaining sensitive data and stealing digital assets. The attackers exploit compromised Telegram accounts and use AI-generated deepfake videos to lure victims into fake Zoom meetings. Mandiant has been tracking this group since 2018, but advances in AI have helped the group expand its malicious activities since November 2025. In one intrusion, the attackers used stolen cryptocurrency founder Telegram accounts to initiate contact and employed a so-called ClickFix attack to trick victims into executing "troubleshooting" commands containing hidden instructions.