Russian hackers targeting European maritime and transport orgs using Microsoft Office exploit

Researchers have uncovered additional cyberattacks carried out by Russian state-linked hackers exploiting a Microsoft Office vulnerability as part of what they described as a “sophisticated espionage campaign.”

The activity has been linked to APT28, or Fancy Bear, a Kremlin-backed hacking group that has targeted Ukraine and NATO-aligned countries for more than two decades. 

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s computer emergency response team, CERT-UA, and cybersecurity firm Zscaler reported attacks by the group via the same vulnerability against Ukrainian government agencies and public sector organizations in Slovakia and Romania.

In a report released Wednesday, researchers at the cybersecurity firm Trellix said they observed broader APT28 activity targeting maritime, transportation and diplomatic entities in countries including Poland, Slovenia, Turkey, Greece and the United Arab Emirates.

According to the report, the attacks were part of a “concentrated” 72-hour…