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Hackers Use USB Malware, RATs, and Stealers in Espionage Attacks on Southeast Asian Government

Cybersecuritynews •Tushar Subhra Dutta • March 27, 2026

A highly coordinated cyberespionage campaign has been uncovered targeting a government organization in Southeast Asia, with threat actors deploying a mix of USB-propagated malware, remote access trojans (RATs), and data stealers to secure long-term access to sensitive government systems. The operation, active between June and August 2025, involved three separate clusters of activity running simultaneously […]

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

USB Malware and RATs Target Southeast Asian Government in Cyberespionage Campaign Between June and August 2025, a coordinated cyberespionage operation targeted a Southeast Asian government organization. Attackers deployed USB-propagated malware, including a variant named USBFect (also known as HIUPAN), which facilitates the installation of the PUBLOAD backdoor for lateral movement within the network. The operation involved multiple remote access trojans (RATs) and custom data stealers to maintain long-term access to sensitive systems. Analysts identified three separate clusters of activity occurring simultaneously, indicating a sophisticated and well-planned attack strategy. The full scope of the impact is still being assessed, but the use of USB devices as an attack vector highlights a significant security vulnerability. Current status indicates ongoing investigations into the breach and potential mitigation strategies being developed. 2 sources 71

Extracted Entities

Hackers Use USB Malware, RATs, and Stealers in Espionage Attacks on Southeast Asian Government

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Extracted Entities

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MITRE ATT&CK (1)