Metador

Overview

Metador is a suspected cyber espionage group that was first reported in September 2022. Metador has targeted a limited number of telecommunication companies, internet service providers, and universities in the Middle East and Africa. Security researchers named the group Metador based on the "I am meta" string in one of the group's malware samples and the expectation of Spanish-language responses from C2 servers.

Naming & attribution

Metador is tracked under 1 names across the industry. It uses 9 documented ATT&CK techniques — more than 26% of the 174 groups tracked here.

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.

• APT18 China — 5 shared techniques (31% overlap)
• Rancor — 4 shared techniques (29% overlap)
• BITTER — 5 shared techniques (25% overlap)
• BackdoorDiplomacy — 4 shared techniques (20% overlap)
• Whitefly — 3 shared techniques (20% overlap)
• FIN10 — 3 shared techniques (18% overlap)

TTPs — 9 techniques across 5 tactics

Tools & malware (2)

metaMain · Mafalda

Reporting (1)

• THE MYSTERY OF METADOR | AN UNATTRIBUTED THREAT HIDING IN TELCOS, ISPS, AND UNIVERSITIES — Ehrlich, A., et al