Campaign · all campaigns
Operation Dust StormC0016 unknown
aka Operation Dust Storm
Last updated: 2026-08-20
About this actor
[Operation Dust Storm](https://attack.mitre.org/campaigns/C0016) was a long-standing persistent cyber espionage campaign that targeted multiple industries in Japan, South Korea, the United States, Europe, and several Southeast Asian countries. By 2015, the [Operation Dust Storm](https://attack.mitre.org/campaigns/C0016) threat actors shifted from government and defense-related intelligence targets to Japanese companies or Japanese subdivisions of larger foreign organizations supporting Japan's critical infrastructure, including electricity generation, oil and natural gas, finance, transportation, and construction.(Citation: Cylance Dust Storm) [Operation Dust Storm](https://attack.mitre.org/campaigns/C0016) threat actors also began to use Android backdoors in their operations by 2015, with all identified victims at the time residing in Japan or South Korea.(Citation: Cylance Dust Storm)
Source: MITRE ATT&CK
Names & naming systems
Each vendor coins its own name for the same actor. Where a name follows a known scheme we attribute it; the rest are listed honestly as unclassified.
Microsoftweather-system names
How we know this
- Data origin
- MITRE ATT&CK campaign Imported from the MITRE ATT&CK STIX bundle as a campaign object.
- Techniques
- MITRE ATT&CK STIX mappings — 24 ATT&CK techniques on file.
- Named victims
- None on file.
See how actor data is built for the full pipeline.
Activity timeline
- 2011 — 1 CVE published
Profile
| CVE | Risk | CVSS | EPSS | Published | Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CVE-2011-1255 | 8.0 | 0.0 | 0.9270 | 2011-06-16 | see CVE |
T1027Obfuscated Files or Information ↗T1027.002Software Packing ↗T1027.013Encrypted/Encoded File ↗T1036Masquerading ↗T1059Command and Scripting Interpreter ↗T1059.005Visual Basic ↗T1059.007JavaScript ↗T1140Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information ↗T1189Drive-by Compromise ↗T1203Exploitation for Client Execution ↗T1204User Execution ↗T1204.001Malicious Link ↗T1204.002Malicious File ↗T1218System Binary Proxy Execution ↗T1218.005Mshta ↗T1518Software Discovery ↗T1566Phishing ↗T1566.001Spearphishing Attachment ↗T1566.002Spearphishing Link ↗T1568Dynamic Resolution ↗T1583Acquire Infrastructure ↗T1583.001Domains ↗T1585Establish Accounts ↗T1585.002Email Accounts ↗
Mitigating controls (NIST 800-53)
| Control | Techniques covered | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
SI-3 | 18 / 24 | 75% |
SI-4 | 17 / 24 | 71% |
CA-7 | 14 / 24 | 58% |
CM-2 | 14 / 24 | 58% |
CM-6 | 14 / 24 | 58% |
SI-7 | 12 / 24 | 50% |
AC-4 | 10 / 24 | 42% |
CM-7 | 10 / 24 | 42% |
SC-7 | 10 / 24 | 42% |
SI-2 | 10 / 24 | 42% |
SI-10 | 8 / 24 | 33% |
AC-6 | 7 / 24 | 29% |
CM-8 | 7 / 24 | 29% |
SC-44 | 7 / 24 | 29% |
AC-3 | 6 / 24 | 25% |
Co-occurring actors
None.
Similar actors
Similar TTPs
- Transparent Tribe 0.52
- Operation Spalax 0.45
- Elderwood 0.44
- LazyScripter 0.38
- TA2541 0.38
Active in same years
- NEODYMIUM 1.00
- PROMETHIUM 1.00