China's Salt Typhoon spotted probing Latin American government with newly developed SparroWocky backdoor
The group has been focused on Latin America for almost a year now.
Chinese cyber espionage group Salt Typhoon has expanded its focus to Latin America, targeting countries like Argentina, Peru, and Venezuela. The threat actor, believed to be linked to the Chinese government, has introduced a new malware called SparroWocky, featuring 30+ commands for system profiling, data exfiltration, and surveillance.
The emergence of SparroWocky is seen as a response to Donald Trump's renewed interest in the region, potentially threatening China's investments in energy, mining, and telecommunications. ESET, the cybersecurity firm tracking Salt Typhoon, suspects the group is working to anticipate local governments' reactions to US pressures. This development is considered a "rare occurrence" as Latin America is not typically viewed as an ally of China.
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