GopherWhisper: China-linked hackers target governments with custom Go toolkit

Bleeping Computer reports that a sophisticated state-backed threat actor, identified as GopherWhisper, has been actively targeting government entities since at least 2023. This group, believed to be linked to China, employs a custom toolkit written in the Go programming language and utilizes legitimate services for its malicious operations.

ESET research revealed GopherWhisper's tactics, which include deploying multiple Go-based backdoors like LaxGopher and RatGopher, along with a C++ backdoor named SSLORDoor. These tools leverage popular platforms such as Microsoft 365 Outlook, Slack, and Discord for command-and-control (C2) communication. The attackers also utilize a custom tool, CompactGopher, to compress and exfiltrate stolen data to file-sharing services like File.io. In one identified campaign, a Mongolian government entity was targeted, with dozens of other victims suspected based on C2 traffic analysis.

Source: Bleeping Computer