SOURCE: API
On Wednesday, Meta reported that it had identified and taken action on three cyber-espionage operations in South Asia that were detected on its platform. One of these operations involved a network of more than a hundred suspicious Facebook and Instagram accounts that were linked to state-sponsored actors in Pakistan and targeted military personnel in India. Meta did not disclose any further details regarding the other two operations.
Meta also disclosed that it had taken action against a hacking group named Patchwork, which operated from India and targeted military personnel, activists, and minority groups in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Tibet region, and China.
According to Meta’s report, the company has taken action against approximately 120 Facebook and Instagram accounts linked to a hacking group in Pakistan. This group primarily targeted individuals in India and Pakistan, including military personnel in the Indian Armed Forces and the Pakistan Air Force. Meta’s investigation revealed that the group had connections to state-sponsored actors in Pakistan.
Despite the group’s relatively low level of sophistication, Meta stated that they were persistent in their activities and targeted various online services. The group heavily relied on a network of attacker-controlled websites to distribute malware through highly-targeted campaigns. These campaigns aimed to trick targets into clicking on malicious links and downloading malware for Android or Windows devices.