APT Groups Intensify Cyber Attacks on Latin America's Critical Infrastructure

Executive Summary

Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) groups have escalated cyber operations targeting critical infrastructure across Latin America. Notably, Chinese-linked APT group Earth Alux and the Latin American group APT-C-36 (Blind Eagle) have been identified as primary actors. These groups employ sophisticated techniques to infiltrate and compromise sectors such as energy, water, healthcare, and finance, posing substantial risks to national security and economic stability.

Earth Alux's Cyber Espionage Campaigns

Earth Alux, a China-linked APT group, has been active since the second quarter of 2023, targeting critical industries in both the Asia-Pacific and Latin American regions. Their operations focus on sectors including government, technology, logistics, manufacturing, telecommunications, IT services, and retail. The group's primary tool, VARGEIT, serves as a multi-channel backdoor, facilitating data collection, system manipulation, and command execution. VARGEIT's capabilities include drive information collection, process monitoring, file manipulation, and command-line execution. Additionally, Earth Alux utilizes web shells like GODZILLA to implant backdoors and employs tools such as COBEACON and RSBINJECT for payload delivery and testing. (industrialcyber.co)

APT-C-36's Spear-Phishing Attacks

APT-C-36, also known as Blind Eagle, has been targeting Latin American organizations since at least 2018. The group employs spear-phishing campaigns to deliver Remote Access Trojans (RATs) like Gh0stCringe and Remcos. These attacks have been observed in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Panama, affecting government institutions, financial organizations, and critical infrastructure. In 2024 and 2025, Blind Eagle's tactics evolved from credential theft to deploying more direct and destructive malware attacks, indicating a shift towards more aggressive cyber operations. (obsidiansecurity.com)

Implications for Critical Infrastructure

The activities of Earth Alux and APT-C-36 underscore the growing threat to Latin America's critical infrastructure. Compromises in sectors such as energy, water, healthcare, and finance can lead to operational disruptions, financial losses, and potential threats to public safety. For instance, unauthorized access to water treatment facilities can result in contamination, while attacks on power grids can cause widespread outages. The healthcare sector is also vulnerable, with potential breaches compromising patient data and disrupting medical services.

Recommendations

To mitigate these threats, organizations should consider the following measures:

• Regular System Updates: Ensure all systems, including Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, are regularly updated to patch known vulnerabilities.

• Employee Training: Conduct regular training sessions to recognize and respond to phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics.

• Network Segmentation: Implement network segmentation to limit the lateral movement of attackers within critical infrastructure networks.

• Incident Response Planning: Develop and regularly update incident response plans to ensure a swift and coordinated response to cyber incidents.

Conclusion

The increasing sophistication and frequency of cyber attacks by APT groups targeting Latin America's critical infrastructure highlight the need for enhanced cybersecurity measures. Proactive defense strategies, continuous monitoring, and rapid response capabilities are essential to safeguard national security and economic interests.

Highlights:

• Hacktivists Attacks On Critical Infrastructure Surge In 2025, Published on Thursday, July 10