Skip to content
North Korean hackers using QR codes to attack governments and think tanks: FBI

North Korean hackers using QR codes to attack governments and think tanks: FBI

Nknews January 9, 2026

The FBI has warned that a North Korean cybercrime group known for its prolific espionage operations is using QR codes to launch spear-phishing attacks against U.S. and foreign government entities and other institutions.

The Pyongyang-backed actor Kimsuky targeted nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, academia and foreign policy experts by embedding malicious QR codes in phishing emails in May and June, the bureau said in an alert on Thursday.

The FBI has warned that a North Korean cybercrime group known for its prolific espionage operations is using QR codes to launch spear-phishing attacks against U.S. and foreign government entities and other institutions.

The Pyongyang-backed actor Kimsuky targeted nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, academia and foreign policy experts by embedding malicious QR codes in phishing emails in May and June, the bureau said in an alert on Thursday.

Shreyas Reddy is the Lead Correspondent at NK News, based in Seoul. He previously worked as a researcher at BBC Monitoring, where his work focused on news and key people and organizations from the Korean Peninsula, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Follow him on Twitter.

Extracted Entities

APT Groups (1)

Attack Types (1)

Industries (1)

MITRE ATT&CK (1)