The Russian state-linked threat actor APT28 (also known as Forest Blizzard and Pawn Storm) has intensified its cyber operations through two major campaigns: a large-scale DNS hijacking operation targeting SOHO routers and a spear-phishing campaign deploying the PRISMEX malware suite.

These campaigns demonstrate a shift toward multi-layered attack strategies, combining infrastructure-level compromise with endpoint exploitation to enable persistent espionage, credential harvesting, and potential disruption of critical systems.

Executive Summary

• APT28 conducted a global DNS hijacking campaign (FrostArmada) by compromising MikroTik and TP-Link routers.
• The attackers modified DNS settings to redirect traffic and perform Adversary-in-the-Middle (AitM) attacks.
• Over 18,000 IPs across 120+ countries were observed communicating with attacker infrastructure.
• A second campaign deployed PRISMEX malware via spear-phishing, targeting Ukraine and allied sectors.
• Rapid exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities CVE-2026-21509 and CVE-2026-21513 enabled stealthy payload execution.
• The campaigns highlight a dual objective: intelligence gathering and potential operational disruption.

Background on Threat and Campaigns

FrostArmada – DNS Hijacking Campaign

The FrostArmada campaign involved compromising vulnerable SOHO routers and reconfiguring them to use attacker-controlled DNS servers.

• DNS traffic was redirected to malicious infrastructure.
• Users attempting to access legitimate services were silently redirected.
• AitM nodes intercepted authentication credentials without user interaction.

This operation was partially disrupted through Operation Masquerade, a coordinated effort involving law enforcement agencies.

PRISMEX Malware Campaign

Parallel to infrastructure attacks, APT28 launched a spear-phishing campaign delivering the PRISMEX malware suite.

Key techniques:

• Steganography (payloads hidden in images)
• COM hijacking for persistence
• Abuse of legitimate cloud services for command-and-control

Targets included:

• Government agencies
• Defense and logistics sectors
• NATO-aligned organizations

Vulnerability Details

CVE-2023-50224:

1. Vulnerability: Improper Authentication Information Disclosure Vulnerability
2. CVSS Score: 6.5
3. EPSS Score: 1.49%
4. Affected Products: TP-Link TL-WR841N routers

CVE-2026-21509:

1. Vulnerability: Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability
2. CVSS Score: 7.8
3. EPSS Score: 7.50%
4. Affected Products: Microsoft Office

CVE-2026-21513:

1. Vulnerability: Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability27.97%
2. CVSS Score: 27.97%
3. EPSS Score: 8.8
4. Affected Products: Microsoft Windows

Tactics and Techniques

• TA0002 – Execution: The vulnerabilities enable attackers to execute malicious code or payloads on the affected systems, including via malicious .LNK files and scripts.
• TA0008 – Lateral Movement: Compromised routers and endpoints can be leveraged to pivot within the network, allowing attackers to expand access to additional systems.
• TA0006 – Credential Access: DNS hijacking and AitM techniques allow attackers to intercept and steal authentication credentials, including passwords and OAuth tokens.
• TA0001 – Initial Access: Attackers gain initial access through exploitation of vulnerable edge devices and spear-phishing campaigns delivering malicious files.
• T1210 – Exploitation of Remote Services: Exploitation of vulnerabilities such as CVE-2023-50224 to gain unauthorized access to routers.
• T1566 – Phishing: Spear-phishing emails used to deliver PRISMEX malware payloads.
• T1557 – Adversary-in-the-Middle: DNS hijacking redirects traffic to attacker-controlled infrastructure for credential interception.
• T1204 – User Execution: Users unknowingly execute malicious documents or shortcut (.LNK) files.
• T1546 – Event Triggered Execution: Persistence achieved via COM hijacking techniques.

Visual Attack Flow

DNS Hijacking Attack Flow

[User Request] -> [Compromised Router] -> [Modified DNS Settings] -> [Malicious DNS Server] -> [AitM Node] -> [Credential Harvesting & Exfiltration]

PRISMEX Infection Flow

[Spear-Phishing Email] -> [Malicious Document / LNK File] -> [CVE-2026-21509 Trigger] -> [CVE-2026-21513 Execution] -> [PRISMEX Deployment] -> [Persistence + C2 Communication]

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Network Indicators

• Suspicious DNS requests routed to unknown or unauthorized DNS resolvers
• DNS queries resolving legitimate domains (e.g., email/login portals) to unexpected or attacker-controlled IP addresses
• Traffic redirection to Attacker-in-the-Middle (AitM) infrastructure
• Communication with known malicious IPs:
  • 64.120.31[.]96 (AitM node observed since May 2025)
  • 79.141.160[.]78 (Global DNS/AitM node supporting DoT activity)

Domain Indicators

• wellnesscaremed[.]com (linked to exploitation chain activity)

Host-Based Indicators

• Execution of suspicious .LNK files from untrusted sources
• Presence of malicious Microsoft Office documents with embedded macros (PRISMEX loaders)
• Unusual use of JavaScript APIs:
  • util.readFileIntoStream()
  • RSS.addFeed()

Mitigation & Recommendations

Mitigation for CVE-2023-50224 (Router Exploitation)

• Update firmware on TP-Link and MikroTik routers to the latest versions.
• Disable remote administration unless explicitly required.
• Change default credentials and enforce strong authentication.
• Monitor DNS settings for unauthorized changes.
• Segment network devices to limit lateral movement.

Mitigation for CVE-2026-21509 & CVE-2026-21513

• Apply latest Windows security updates immediately.
• Block or restrict execution of .LNK files from untrusted sources.
• Disable macros in Microsoft Office by default.
• Use endpoint detection tools to monitor suspicious process execution.
• Inspect outbound connections to detect unusual C2 communication.

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