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Iran's MuddyWater Targets Orgs With Fresh Malware as Tensions Mount

Iran‑linked APT MuddyWater has escalated its campaign, dubbed Operation Olalampo, against organizations in the Middle East and Africa. The group continues to rely on spear‑phishing but also began exploiting public‑facing servers, delivering several previously unseen malware strains such as the Rust‑based Char backdoor, GhostBackDoor, and the HTTP_VIP downloader. Notably, Char uses a Telegram bot for command‑and‑control and exhibits AI‑generated code artifacts, including emoji debug strings. The campaign reflects MuddyWater’s shift toward AI‑assisted development and diversified C2 infrastructure.