Andariel

Overview

Andariel is a North Korean state-sponsored threat group that has been active since at least 2009. Andariel has primarily focused its operations--which have included destructive attacks--against South Korean government agencies, military organizations, and a variety of domestic companies; they have also conducted cyber financial operations against ATMs, banks, and cryptocurrency exchanges. Andariel's notable activity includes Operation Black Mine, Operation GoldenAxe, and Campaign Rifle. Andariel is considered a sub-set of Lazarus Group, and has been attributed to North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau. North Korean group definitions are known to have significant overlap, and some security researchers report all North Korean state-sponsored cyber activity under the name Lazarus Group instead of tracking clusters or subgroups.

Naming & attribution

Andariel is tracked under 4 names across the industry. It uses 12 documented ATT&CK techniques — more than 35% of the 174 groups tracked here. Activity attributed since at least 2009.

Distinctive techniques

Techniques this group uses that are rare across the other 173 tracked groups — these carry more signal than the near-universal ones.

• T1590.005 IP Addresses — used by 3 of 174 groups
• T1592.002 Software — used by 3 of 174 groups

Closest groups by technique overlap

Computed from shared ATT&CK techniques. Overlap is not attribution — distinct actors converge on the same tradecraft — but a high share is a useful pivot.

• Elderwood China — 5 shared techniques (31% overlap)
• APT37 North Korea — 8 shared techniques (24% overlap)
• PLATINUM — 4 shared techniques (21% overlap)
• APT12 China — 3 shared techniques (21% overlap)
• TA459 China — 3 shared techniques (21% overlap)
• Darkhotel South Korea — 6 shared techniques (20% overlap)

Targets

Government · Private sector

Regions

Australia · Bangladesh · Bangladesh Bank · Brazil · Canada · China · Cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea · France · Germany · Guatemala · Hong Kong · India · Japan · Sony Pictures Entertainment · South Korea · Thailand · United Kingdom · United States

Capabilities

• Exploitation of public-facing / client applications — ATT&CK T1203

TTPs — 12 techniques across 8 tactics

Tools & malware (2)

Rifdoor · gh0st RAT

Reporting (3)

• How Microsoft names threat actors — Microsoft
• Silent Chollima Adversary Profile — CrowdStrike
• Treasury Sanctions North Korean State-Sponsored Malicious Cyber Groups — US Treasury