Blind Eagle Resurfaces: APT-C-36’s Evolving Cyber Attacks Target Latin America

Rising Tensions in Latin America’s Cybersecurity Landscape

An increasingly aggressive threat actor known as APT-C-36, or Blind Eagle, is intensifying its cyber onslaughts across Latin America, with Colombia as its primary focus. This sophisticated hacking group has ramped up operations in 2024 and 2025, targeting not just government entities but also financial institutions and critical infrastructure. Their modus operandi is evolving—showing a calculated shift from traditional credential theft to more direct and destructive malware attacks. These developments underline a growing concern for regional cybersecurity and the need for more adaptive defense strategies.

Inside Blind Eagle’s New Attack Playbook

Blind Eagle has built a reputation on crafting deceptive phishing campaigns aimed at high-value targets. These start with emails that contain malicious URLs, often disguised to appear legitimate. By late 2024, the group began exploiting a known Microsoft Windows vulnerability, CVE-2024-43451, which allowed attackers to extract NTLMv2 password hashes with minimal user input. Although Microsoft released a patch in November 2024, Blind Eagle swiftly pivoted tactics, transitioning from passive data gathering to active malware deployment.

Victims clicking on the phishing links unknowingly download malicious files that, once opened, initiate a WebDAV request. This communication protocol, originally meant for simple file transfers over the internet, becomes a Trojan horse used to fetch and execute additional malware. The attackers cleverly monitor these file accesses in real time, enabling immediate reaction and persistence within compromised systems.

In February 2025, cybersecurity platform Darktrace uncovered activity linked to Blind Eagle inside the network of a Colombian organization. Within just five hours, a device connected to an external IP address in Germany (62.60.226.112), downloaded multiple executables, and began exporting data. Investigators found that this IP had ties to previously identified malware and phishing schemes. The compromised machine also contacted a dynamic DNS service (21ene.ip-ddns[.]com) known to facilitate Remcos RAT—a remote access trojan.

What followed was a full-blown cyber incident. The attacker-controlled machine interacted with additional endpoints (such as diciembrenotasenclub[.]longmusic[.]com via TCP port 1512) and uploaded more than 65 MB of data in total. These actions tripped multiple security alerts and confirmed that the attack had gone through the complete kill chain—from initial access to data exfiltration.

This attack highlighted a key cybersecurity lesson: traditional patching, while essential, isn’t sufficient on its own. Blind Eagle’s nimbleness in altering their TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures) means organizations must also adopt real-time anomaly detection and autonomous threat response tools. Unfortunately, in this case, the absence of automated intervention allowed the breach to unfold until manual response steps were initiated.

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The Real-World Impact of Persistent Threat Actors Like Blind Eagle

APT-C-36’s campaign exposes the glaring gaps in Latin America’s cybersecurity preparedness, especially when it comes to sophisticated, persistent threats. Blind Eagle’s seamless transition from exploiting a patched vulnerability to leveraging malware delivery mechanisms shows how fast threat actors can pivot when denied one pathway. Their adaptability raises significant concerns for any organization still dependent on reactive defense models.

Evolution from Credential Theft to Active Payload Deployment

Originally, the group focused on passive data collection through NTLMv2 hash harvesting. Now, the operation has escalated into the deployment of active malware strains, allowing for direct control over infected systems. This marks a strategic evolution that indicates deeper intent—possibly espionage or long-term infiltration rather than short-term gain.

Advanced Use of WebDAV and Dynamic DNS

One striking tactic used by Blind Eagle is the abuse of legitimate protocols like WebDAV for downloading secondary payloads. These are not random tool choices—they are designed to evade conventional security controls that overlook trusted network services. Pairing this with dynamic DNS endpoints enables the attackers to maintain flexible and resilient command-and-control infrastructures that are harder to blacklist.

Real-Time Monitoring Capabilities Strengthen Attacker Persistence

Blind Eagle’s ability to monitor file access in real time gives them a distinct operational advantage. This tactic turns every victim click into actionable intelligence. Once the malware lands on the target system, adversaries don’t just wait—they act immediately, deepening the compromise before defenders can respond.

Darktrace’s Early Detection but Delayed Containment

The detection of the incident by Darktrace underscores the importance of behavior-based anomaly detection. However, the failure to contain the threat automatically meant the attack completed its lifecycle. This shortcoming is a wake-up call for organizations to integrate automated response mechanisms capable of neutralizing threats instantly, without waiting for human validation.

Persistence Through Remote Access Trojans

The presence of Remcos RAT highlights a deeper risk. With such tools, attackers don’t just steal—they stay. Persistence tools allow adversaries to return at will, install new malware, exfiltrate additional data, or even destroy systems if necessary. It’s a ticking time bomb inside any network.

Implications for Government and Finance Sectors

For government and financial entities, these attacks are not just disruptions—they are existential threats. The leaked data could include sensitive intelligence, citizen information, or financial credentials. In the wrong hands, this material could be used for anything from election interference to economic sabotage.

Lessons in Security Automation and Threat Intelligence Sharing

This case is a stark reminder of how important real-time intelligence and automated countermeasures are in today’s threat landscape. Blind Eagle succeeded because the response was manual. In contrast, security systems that can autonomously isolate a compromised endpoint, block malicious traffic, and alert the SOC (Security Operations Center) would have dramatically reduced the impact.

A Call for Proactive Defense Posture

Organizations must move away from reactive models and adopt proactive frameworks like Zero Trust, behavior analytics, and continuous threat hunting. This isn’t just a matter of best practice—it’s becoming a necessity for survival in regions under constant digital siege.

🔍 Fact Checker Results:

✅ Blind Eagle is a confirmed APT group targeting Latin America, especially Colombia.
✅ CVE-2024-43451 was indeed exploited by attackers in phishing campaigns during late 2024.
❌ No automated threat containment occurred in the documented case, enabling full attack progression.

📊 Prediction:

⚠️ Expect Blind Eagle to expand its campaigns beyond Colombia to other Latin American countries, including Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil.
🧠 Their future attacks will likely leverage AI-generated phishing content and zero-day exploits to bypass traditional email filters.
🚨 Without widespread adoption of autonomous security systems, more regional institutions will face full compromise by mid-2026.

References:

Reported By: cyberpress.org
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