{"id":17715,"date":"2026-01-14T09:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T09:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"\/cybersecurity-blog\/?p=17715"},"modified":"2026-01-15T09:27:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T09:27:42","slug":"german-manufacture-attack","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/","title":{"rendered":"German Manufacturing Under\u00a0Phishing\u00a0Attacks: Tracking a Stealthy\u00a0AsyncRAT Campaign\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Manufacturing&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/enterprise\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktoenterprise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">companies<\/a>&nbsp;have quietly become one of the most hunted species in the modern threat landscape. Not because they are careless, but because they are operationally critical, geographically distributed, and often rely on complex IT and OT environments that attackers love to probe.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Manufacturing&nbsp;is&nbsp;among the top industries targeted by ransomware&nbsp;groups and advanced campaigns, often with region-specific lures.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Attackers continue to favor invoice-themed and supplier-related emails, carefully localized to increase trust and click-through rates in manufacturing environments.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Files detected by only one or two vendors often&nbsp;indicate&nbsp;fresh attacks&nbsp;designed to bypass traditional defenses, making early discovery critical.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The reuse of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/client-side-exploitation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WebDAV<\/a>, known vulnerabilities, and familiar&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/malware-trends\/rat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RAT families<\/a>&nbsp;across cases helps analysts distinguish structured campaigns from background noise.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Filtering threats by sector and country dramatically improves relevance, allowing teams to focus on attacks that are most likely to&nbsp;impact&nbsp;their business.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By&nbsp;identifying&nbsp;campaigns before alerts trigger, organizations can shorten dwell time and prevent disruptions that are especially costly for manufacturing operations.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By correlating&nbsp;industry, geography, techniques, and indicators,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/threat-intelligence-lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookuplanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat&nbsp;Intelligence&nbsp;Lookup<\/a>&nbsp;helps manufacturing companies uncover active campaigns early and turn threat intelligence into a preventive control, not just a reference source.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Threat Landscape: Manufacturing Under Siege&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktolanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ANY.RUN<\/a>&#8216;s data, based on sandbox submissions of over 500K analysts and 15K SOCs, shows&nbsp;increased malicious activity against manufacturing companies.&nbsp;While this uptick aligns with patterns across other industries, manufacturing consistently shows slightly higher-than-average attack rates, confirming its status as a priority target.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"348\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17725\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image.jpg 940w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-300x111.jpg 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-768x284.jpg 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-370x137.jpg 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-270x100.jpg 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-740x274.jpg 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Attacks on manufacturing&nbsp;companies&nbsp;vs attacks on other sectors<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Top businesses&nbsp;operating&nbsp;in the industry rely on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/threat-intelligence-lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookuplanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat Intelligence Lookup<\/a>&nbsp;to track the latest attacks and campaigns conducted against manufacturing enterprises.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accessing&nbsp;an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/industry-geo-threat-landscape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">up-to-date threat landscape<\/a>&nbsp;for your industry&nbsp;requires&nbsp;just one&nbsp;search query:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522industry:%255C%2522Manufacturing%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:60%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">industry:&#8221;Manufacturing&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"585\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-1024x585.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-1024x585.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-768x439.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-1536x877.png 1536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-370x211.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-270x154.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19-740x423.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image19.png 1835w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>TI Lookup provides fresh threat intel for&nbsp;numerous&nbsp;industries<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The service instantly delivers&nbsp;actionable intelligence&nbsp;on the latest cyber threats&nbsp;targeting&nbsp;companies around the world.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/industry-geo-threat-landscape\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about threat landscape tracking with TI Lookup \u2192<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;enables SOC teams&nbsp;to&nbsp;timely&nbsp;update their defenses before the&nbsp;attackers have a chance to strike.&nbsp;By acting proactively, organizations are able to&nbsp;protect their infrastructure, prevent downtime, and avoid incident response costs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Threat Hunting for a German Manufacturing Company&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>NOTE:&nbsp;<\/strong>This case study&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;how malware analysts use proactive threat hunting with ANY.RUN&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat Intelligence Lookup<\/a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;identify&nbsp;and analyze real-world attacks targeting manufacturing companies, specifically focusing on a sophisticated campaign against German industrial firms.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(We have substituted the actual company\u2019s name by a COMPANY_NAME placeholder.)<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s&nbsp;assume we are conducting continuous threat hunting for a manufacturing company based in Germany. Our&nbsp;objective is simple but critical:&nbsp;identify&nbsp;phishing emails&nbsp;as potential&nbsp;initial&nbsp;access vectors before they reach production systems.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using ANY.RUN\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat Intelligence Lookup<\/a>, we build a focused query:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522industry:%255C%2522Manufacturing%255C%2522%255CnAND%2520filePath:%255C%2522*.eml%255C%2522%2520AND%2520not%255CnthreatLevel:%255C%2522info%255C%2522%2520AND%255CnsubmissionCountry:%255C%2522DE%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:60%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">industry:&#8221;Manufacturing&#8221; AND&nbsp;filePath:&#8221;*.eml&#8221; AND not&nbsp;threatLevel:&#8221;info&#8221; AND&nbsp;submissionCountry:&#8221;DE&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"572\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-1024x572.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-300x168.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-1536x859.png 1536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-370x207.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-270x151.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2-740x414.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-2.png 1558w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Searching for phishing emails targeting German industry<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>With a 90-day analysis window, the search yielded over 30 real-world cases representing&nbsp;potential intrusion&nbsp;attempts against organizations&nbsp;similar to&nbsp;ours.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- Regular Banner START -->\n<div class=\"regular-banner\">\n<!-- Text Content -->\n<p class=\"regular-banner__text\">\nReduce operational risk with proactive visibility<br>\nUpdate defense with <span class=\"highlight\">live attack data<\/span> from 15K SOCs\n<\/p>\n<!-- CTA Link -->\n<a class=\"regular-banner__link\" id=\"article-banner-regular\" href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/threat-intelligence-lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&#038;utm_medium=article&#038;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&#038;utm_term=140126&#038;utm_content=linktotilookuplandingform#contact-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\nAccess TI Lookup\u00a0Premium\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<!-- Regular Banner END -->\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles START -->\n\n<style>\n.regular-banner {\ndisplay: flex;\ntext-align: center;\nflex-direction: column;\nalign-items: center;\ngap: 1.5rem;\nwidth: 100%;\npadding: 2rem;\nmargin: 1.5rem 0;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\nfont-family: 'Catamaran Bold';\nmargin-inline: auto;\nbackground: rgba(32, 168, 241, 0.1);\nborder: 1px solid rgba(75, 174, 227, 0.32);\n}\n\n.regular-banner__text {\nfont-size: 1.5rem;\nmargin: 0;\n}\n\n.highlight {\ncolor: #ea2526;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link {\npadding: 0.5rem 1.5rem;\nfont-weight: 500;\ntext-decoration: none;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\ncolor: #FFFFFF;\nbackground-color: #1491D4;\ntext-align: center;\ntransition: all 0.2s ease-in;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link:hover {\nbackground-color: #68CBFF;\ncolor: white;\n}\n<\/style>\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles END -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Closer Look at One Real Attack&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One case stood out for its sophistication and targeted approach.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"784\" height=\"112\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10.png 784w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10-300x43.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10-768x110.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10-370x53.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10-270x39.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image10-740x106.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 784px) 100vw, 784px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A malware analysis session in ANY.RUN\u2019s sandbox<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The attack&nbsp;leveraged&nbsp;the brand of a popular software provider in Germany,&nbsp;indicating&nbsp;specific targeting of German companies. What made this case particularly noteworthy was the combination of:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exploitation of a recently disclosed vulnerability,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Simultaneous deployment of two Remote Access Trojans (RATs):&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/malware-trends\/asyncrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AsyncRAT<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/malware-trends\/xworm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">XWorm<\/a>,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Highly convincing social engineering tactics.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<!-- Regular Banner START -->\n<div class=\"regular-banner\">\n<!-- Text Content -->\n<p class=\"regular-banner__text\">\nEnrich indicators with live attack data in TI Lookup<br>\nSpeed up triage &#038; response with <span class=\"highlight\">critical context<\/span> \n<\/p>\n<!-- CTA Link -->\n<a class=\"regular-banner__link\" id=\"article-banner-regular\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&#038;utm_medium=article&#038;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&#038;utm_term=140126&#038;utm_content=linktotilookup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\nTry TI Lookup\u00a0\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<!-- Regular Banner END -->\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles START -->\n\n<style>\n.regular-banner {\ndisplay: flex;\ntext-align: center;\nflex-direction: column;\nalign-items: center;\ngap: 1.5rem;\nwidth: 100%;\npadding: 2rem;\nmargin: 1.5rem 0;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\nfont-family: 'Catamaran Bold';\nmargin-inline: auto;\nbackground: rgba(32, 168, 241, 0.1);\nborder: 1px solid rgba(75, 174, 227, 0.32);\n}\n\n.regular-banner__text {\nfont-size: 1.5rem;\nmargin: 0;\n}\n\n.highlight {\ncolor: #ea2526;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link {\npadding: 0.5rem 1.5rem;\nfont-weight: 500;\ntext-decoration: none;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\ncolor: #FFFFFF;\nbackground-color: #1491D4;\ntext-align: center;\ntransition: all 0.2s ease-in;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link:hover {\nbackground-color: #68CBFF;\ncolor: white;\n}\n<\/style>\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles END -->\n\n\n\n<p>The attack targeted a German construction and engineering services company through a carefully crafted phishing email:&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br><strong>Sender Spoofing:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Display name: &#8220;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>&nbsp;eG&#8221; (legitimate company name),&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Actual sender:&nbsp;g.bader-gmbh@gmx[.]de&nbsp;(German domain for&nbsp;additional&nbsp;authenticity).&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"301\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-1024x301.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-1024x301.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-300x88.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-768x226.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-370x109.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-270x79.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11-740x218.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image11.png 1122w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Phishing mail: real company&nbsp;sender name,&nbsp;non-related local&nbsp;email&nbsp;address&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Email Content:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Designed as an invoice notification from&nbsp;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Included document number and date for legitimacy,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Professional design increasing click-through probability,&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malicious link embedded in the message.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"536\" height=\"530\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12.png 536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12-300x297.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12-70x70.png 70w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12-370x366.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image12-270x267.png 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 536px) 100vw, 536px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Phishing email text and malicious link<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Clicking the link redirected victims to Dropbox, where a file named &#8220;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>&nbsp;-Rechnung&nbsp;Nr. 21412122025.pdf.zip&#8221; awaited download.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Obfuscation Techniques:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Double file extension&nbsp;(.pdf.zip) to disguise the true file type;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Archive&nbsp;contained&nbsp;&#8220;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>-Rechnung&nbsp;Nr. 21412122025.pdf.url&#8221;,&nbsp;a shortcut file masquerading as a PDF;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Formatting&nbsp;designed to encourage victims to open the file&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"815\" height=\"416\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13.png 815w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-300x153.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-768x392.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-370x189.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-270x138.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-585x300.png 585w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image13-740x378.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 815px) 100vw, 815px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Archive&nbsp;containing&nbsp;malicious shortcut disguised as .pdf<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Detection Evasion:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time of analysis, this file was flagged as malicious by only one vendor on&nbsp;VirusTotal. That low detection rate strongly suggests a fresh sample designed to bypass traditional security controls.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"681\" height=\"184\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image14.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17734\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image14.png 681w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image14-300x81.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image14-370x100.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image14-270x73.png 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>VirusTotal file analysis<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The attack&nbsp;leveraged&nbsp;CVE-2024-43451, a vulnerability that enables automatic WebDAV connections without&nbsp;actually opening&nbsp;the .url&nbsp;file. During archive processing or interaction with the attachment, the system automatically connects to a remote resource.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"666\" height=\"389\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image15.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17735\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image15.png 666w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image15-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image15-370x216.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image15-270x158.png 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 666px) 100vw, 666px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Vulnerability exploit detected by ANY.RUN\u2019s Sandbox<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"386\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-1024x386.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-1024x386.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-300x113.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-768x289.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-370x139.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-270x102.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16-740x279.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image16.png 1142w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Malicious file analysis in the Sandbox<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Execution Flow:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Opening the .url&nbsp;file from the ZIP archive;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Remote resource displays as a network directory;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contains&nbsp;.lnk&nbsp;file disguised as a PDF;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Launching this file triggers&nbsp;subsequent&nbsp;attack stages;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Results in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/malware-trends\/xworm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">XWorm<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/malware-trends\/asyncrat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AsyncRAT<\/a>&nbsp;deployment.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"668\" height=\"362\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image17.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17737\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image17.png 668w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image17-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image17-370x201.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image17-270x146.png 270w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 668px) 100vw, 668px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Malicious file in user\u2019s network directory<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This combination provides attackers with redundancy and persistence, increasing the chances of&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;access to the victim\u2019s environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"236\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-1024x236.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17738\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-1024x236.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-300x69.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-768x177.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-370x85.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-270x62.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1-740x171.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagea-1.png 1477w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Process Graph in the Sandbox&nbsp;shows trojan deployment<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Notably, similar WebDAV-based techniques exploiting this vulnerability&nbsp;have been&nbsp;observed&nbsp;in APT activity, confirming that this is not opportunistic noise but a well-established attack pattern.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Expanding the Investigation: Campaign Scope Analysis&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Identifying&nbsp;one attack is only the beginning. The real value of proactive threat hunting lies in understanding scale, patterns, and relevance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using Threat Intelligence Lookup, we pivot from the original case to search for related activity:&nbsp;emails and PDFs&nbsp;containing\u201c<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>\u201d in file names; hashes associated with the malicious documents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522filePath:%255C%2522*DATEV*.pdf*%255C%2522%2520or%2520filePath:%255C%2522*DATEV*.eml%255C%2522%2520or%2520sha256:%255C%25228af19a103fbab4d5a2b9f59098e78e61df1721508e2d148fe9ba2b29e72900ca%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:180%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">filePath:&#8221;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>.pdf*&#8221; or filePath:&#8221;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>.eml&#8221; or sha256:&#8221;8af19a103fbab4d5a2b9f59098e78e61df1721508e2d148fe9ba2b29e72900ca&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17739\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-1024x536.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-300x157.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-768x402.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-370x194.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-270x141.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18-740x387.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image18.png 1426w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Searching for similar malware samples via TI Lookup<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Query Results:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>35&nbsp;analyses&nbsp;matching the specified&nbsp;parameters;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Almost all&nbsp;of them&nbsp;uploaded starting November 4, confirming recent activity;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Multiple instances showing Dropbox connections for ZIP archive delivery;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Generated indicators suitable for enriching detection systems.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When we analyze the industry and geography breakdown, the picture becomes even clearer. Manufacturing&nbsp;remains&nbsp;one of the top targeted industries, with&nbsp;nearly two-thirds&nbsp;of executions occurring in Germany. The same core techniques appear repeatedly: CVE-2024-43451, WebDAV abuse,&nbsp;AsyncRAT, and&nbsp;XWorm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"812\" height=\"305\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1.png 812w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1-300x113.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1-768x288.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1-370x139.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1-270x101.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagec-1-740x278.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 812px) 100vw, 812px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>TI Lookup results Overview: targeted&nbsp;industries&nbsp;and locations; associated malware families<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Hash search of the PDF file employed in the attack shows 40% of submissions from manufacturing industry and 100% of uploads by&nbsp;ANY.RUN\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/features\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linksandboxlanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sandbox<\/a>&nbsp;users&nbsp;from Germany:&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522SHA256:%255C%25228af19a103fbab4d5a2b9f59098e78e61df1721508e2d148fe9ba2b29e72900ca%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:60%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SHA256:&#8221;8af19a103fbab4d5a2b9f59098e78e61df1721508e2d148fe9ba2b29e72900ca&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"817\" height=\"386\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17741\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1.png 817w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1-768x363.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1-370x175.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1-270x128.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imaged-1-740x350.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 817px) 100vw, 817px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>TI Lookup search of a file hash<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Since&nbsp;AsyncRAT&nbsp;and&nbsp;XWorm&nbsp;are widely used, we narrow our focus to the vulnerability itself. A lookup for CVE-2024-43451 shows that most samples originate from the EU, with Germany accounting for&nbsp;roughly half&nbsp;of them. Manufacturing once again appears among the primary targeted industries.&nbsp;WebDAV connections are present in all&nbsp;samples,&nbsp;indicating standardized attack logic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522threatName:%255C%2522CVE-2024-43451%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:60%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threatName:&#8221;CVE-2024-43451&#8243;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-1024x538.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17742\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-1024x538.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-768x403.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-1536x807.png 1536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-370x194.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-270x142.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1-740x389.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagee-1.png 1635w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Search by the vulnerability\u2019s name returns sandbox analyses tagged WebDAV<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This level of repetition is exactly what threat hunters look for. It provides solid arguments to prioritize the threat, enrich internal detection systems with relevant indicators, and proactively hunt for similar behavior in logs, email gateways, and network traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discovering Industry-Specific Patterns&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/threat-intelligence-lookup\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookuplanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat Intelligence Lookup<\/a>&nbsp;also&nbsp;allows us to search for malicious activity tied to industry-specific domain patterns. By querying domains&nbsp;containing&nbsp;fragments like \u201cmanufactur\u201d and filtering for confirmed malicious activity, we uncover more than 100 sandbox analyses and dozens of suspicious domains.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;<br><a href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/analysis\/lookup?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotilookup#%7B%2522query%2522:%2522domainName:%255C%2522manufactur*%255C%2522%2520and%2520threatLevel:%255C%2522malicious%255C%2522%2522,%2522dateRange%2522:180%7D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">domainName:&#8221;manufactur*&#8221; and&nbsp;threatLevel:&#8221;malicious&#8221;<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"502\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-1024x502.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-1024x502.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-768x376.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-1536x752.png 1536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-370x181.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-270x132.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef-740x362.png 740w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/imagef.png 1615w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Explore industry-specific threats and gather indicators in TI Lookup<\/em>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>These findings help extend detection beyond known campaigns and uncover infrastructure that may be reused in future attacks against manufacturing organizations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Findings and Implications&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This case clearly shows that attacks using&nbsp;<em>COMPANY_NAME<\/em>-themed lures, WebDAV and CVE-2024-43451 abuse remain highly relevant for manufacturing companies, especially in Germany. More importantly,&nbsp;it&nbsp;demonstrates&nbsp;how proactive threat hunting changes the security posture entirely.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of reacting to alerts after compromise, malware analysts can:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Identify&nbsp;active campaigns targeting their industry and region;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand attacker techniques before they reach production;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prioritize threats based on real-world repetition and relevance;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Feed high-confidence indicators into detection and prevention systems.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With ANY.RUN\u2019s Threat Intelligence Lookup, threat intelligence becomes a living, searchable environment rather than a static feed. For manufacturing companies facing constant operational pressure, this proactive approach can mean the difference between uninterrupted production and costly downtime.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stay Ahead of Attacks with ANY.RUN&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>ANY.RUN helps security teams move earlier in the attack lifecycle by combining real-time malware analysis with actionable threat intelligence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/features\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linksandboxlanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Interactive Sandbox<\/a>, analysts can safely execute suspicious files and instantly&nbsp;observe&nbsp;attacker behavior, techniques, and indicators&nbsp;to accelerate MTTD and MTTR.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"656\" src=\"\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-1024x656.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17745\" srcset=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-1024x656.png 1024w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-300x192.png 300w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-768x492.png 768w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-1536x984.png 1536w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-2048x1312.png 2048w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-370x237.png 370w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-270x173.png 270w, https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image1a-1-740x474.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Threat Intelligence Feeds help your company catch new threats early<\/em>&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/threat-intelligence-feeds\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktotifeedslanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Threat&nbsp;Intelligence&nbsp;Feeds<\/a>&nbsp;expand threat coverage with verified malicious network IOCs from real-time attacks on 15K+ orgs. Delivered instantly from ANY.RUN\u2019s sandbox in flexible&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/taxii-protocol-integration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">STIX\/TAXII<\/a>&nbsp;for seamless&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/integrations\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktointegrations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SIEM\/SOAR integration<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TI Feeds&nbsp;empower&nbsp;SOC&nbsp;teams&nbsp;to&nbsp;ensure:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Early Detection<\/strong>: IOCs added right after live sandbox analysis\u2014proactively spot new threats in your SOC before they hit.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Expanded Coverage<\/strong>: 99% unique indicators from global attacks (phishing, malware) that traditional feeds miss.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Reduced Workload<\/strong>: Malicious-only alerts, filtered to slash Tier 1 time on false positives.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For&nbsp;manufacturing&nbsp;facing targeted campaigns and high downtime costs, it provides visibility into real attacks as they unfold, allowing them to spot risks before production halts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!-- Regular Banner START -->\n<div class=\"regular-banner\">\n<!-- Text Content -->\n<p class=\"regular-banner__text\">\nExpand threat coverage and speed up\u00a0MTTR<br>Integrate <span class=\"highlight\">real-time intel<\/span> from 15K SOCs\n<\/p>\n<!-- CTA Link -->\n<a class=\"regular-banner__link\" id=\"article-banner-regular\" href=\"https:\/\/intelligence.any.run\/feeds\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&#038;utm_medium=article&#038;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&#038;utm_term=140126&#038;utm_content=linktotifeeds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\nTry TI Feeds\u00a0\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<!-- Regular Banner END -->\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles START -->\n\n<style>\n.regular-banner {\ndisplay: flex;\ntext-align: center;\nflex-direction: column;\nalign-items: center;\ngap: 1.5rem;\nwidth: 100%;\npadding: 2rem;\nmargin: 1.5rem 0;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\nfont-family: 'Catamaran Bold';\nmargin-inline: auto;\nbackground: rgba(32, 168, 241, 0.1);\nborder: 1px solid rgba(75, 174, 227, 0.32);\n}\n\n.regular-banner__text {\nfont-size: 1.5rem;\nmargin: 0;\n}\n\n.highlight {\ncolor: #ea2526;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link {\npadding: 0.5rem 1.5rem;\nfont-weight: 500;\ntext-decoration: none;\nborder-radius: 0.5rem;\ncolor: #FFFFFF;\nbackground-color: #1491D4;\ntext-align: center;\ntransition: all 0.2s ease-in;\n}\n\n.regular-banner__link:hover {\nbackground-color: #68CBFF;\ncolor: white;\n}\n<\/style>\n<!-- Regular Banner Styles END -->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About ANY.RUN&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktolanding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ANY.RUN<\/a>&nbsp;supports&nbsp;more than 15,000 organizations worldwide, including leaders in finance, healthcare, telecom, retail, and tech, helping them strengthen security operations and respond to threats with greater confidence.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Designed for speed and visibility, the solutions provide&nbsp;interactive malware analysis&nbsp;and&nbsp;live threat intelligence, giving SOC teams instant insight into attack behavior and the context needed to act faster.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/enterprise\/?utm_source=anyrunblog&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=german-manufacture-attack&amp;utm_term=140126&amp;utm_content=linktoenterpriseform#contact-sales\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Request a trial or quote for your company \u2192<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ: Proactive Threat Hunting for Manufacturing&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382089702\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>1. Why are manufacturing companies\u00a0frequently\u00a0targeted by cybercriminals?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Manufacturing organizations combine high operational impact, complex IT and OT environments, and tight downtime tolerance. This makes them attractive targets for ransomware groups and espionage-driven campaigns seeking fast leverage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382097778\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>2. What role does phishing play in attacks on manufacturing companies?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Phishing\u00a0remains\u00a0one of the most common\u00a0initial\u00a0access vectors. Attackers often use localized and industry-specific lures, such as invoices or supplier documents, to increase credibility and user interaction.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382105348\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>3. What is proactive threat hunting and how does it differ from traditional detection?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Proactive threat hunting focuses on\u00a0identifying\u00a0active or emerging attack patterns before alerts are triggered. Instead of waiting for detections, analysts search threat intelligence data for techniques, indicators, and campaigns relevant to their industry and region.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382124935\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>4. Why is industry- and region-specific threat intelligence important?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Threats are rarely random. Campaigns are often tailored to specific countries, languages, and industries. Filtering threat intelligence by industry and geography helps analysts focus on the most realistic risks to their organization.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382140392\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>5. What makes vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-43451 especially dangerous?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Such vulnerabilities enable stealthy execution paths and are often abused before widespread\u00a0detection\u00a0signatures exist. Their repeated appearance across campaigns makes them strong indicators of active attacker playbooks.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382144487\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>6. How can malware analysts use threat intelligence to prioritize threats?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">By\u00a0identifying\u00a0recurring techniques, delivery methods, and malware families across multiple cases, analysts can distinguish isolated noise from systematic campaigns and prioritize threats that are most likely to\u00a0impact\u00a0their environment.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1768382152523\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>7. How does proactive threat hunting benefit manufacturing businesses?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">It reduces dwell time, lowers the chance of operational disruption, and enables earlier defensive action. For manufacturing, where downtime equals\u00a0financial loss, early visibility can prevent incidents rather than merely\u00a0respond\u00a0to them.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Manufacturing&nbsp;companies&nbsp;have quietly become one of the most hunted species in the modern threat landscape. Not because they are careless, but because they are operationally critical, geographically distributed, and often rely on complex IT and OT environments that attackers love to probe.&nbsp; Key Takeaways&nbsp; The Threat Landscape: Manufacturing Under Siege&nbsp; ANY.RUN&#8216;s data, based on sandbox submissions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[57,10,34],"class_list":["post-17715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-malware-analysis","tag-anyrun","tag-cybersecurity","tag-malware-analysis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.10 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AsyncRAT Campaign:\u00a0German Manufacturing Under\u00a0Phishing\u00a0Attacks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0phishing campaign targeting German manufacturing companies using CVE-2024-43451.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4OURUP\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"4OURUP\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/\"},\"headline\":\"German Manufacturing Under\u00a0Phishing\u00a0Attacks: Tracking a Stealthy\u00a0AsyncRAT Campaign\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-14T09:28:12+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-15T09:27:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/\"},\"wordCount\":2340,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/\"},\"keywords\":[\"ANYRUN\",\"cybersecurity\",\"malware analysis\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Malware Analysis\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/\",\"name\":\"AsyncRAT Campaign:\u00a0German Manufacturing 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I analyze cyber threats, process data, and help stay one step ahead of adversaries.\",\"url\":\"#molongui-disabled-link\"},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/#faq-question-1768382089702\",\"position\":1,\"url\":\"https:\/\/any.run\/cybersecurity-blog\/german-manufacture-attack\/#faq-question-1768382089702\",\"name\":\"1. Why are manufacturing companies\u00a0frequently\u00a0targeted by cybercriminals?\u00a0\",\"answerCount\":1,\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Manufacturing organizations combine high operational impact, complex IT and OT environments, and tight downtime tolerance. 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