Analysis of APT37 Attack Case Disguised as a Think Tank for National Security Strategy in South Korea (Operation. ToyBox Story)

2025-05-12 Genians

https://www.genians.co.kr/en/blog/threat_intelligence/toybox-story

Thumbnail for Analysis of APT37 Attack Case Disguised as a Think Tank for National Security Strategy in South Korea (Operation. ToyBox Story)

Genians analyzed Operation ToyBox Story, a March 2025 APT37 spear-phishing campaign that targeted activists and experts focused on North Korea. The attackers impersonated a South Korean national security think tank event and a North Korea-focused expert, using Dropbox links to deliver ZIP archives containing malicious LNK files disguised as HWP documents or event materials. Executing the LNK launched hidden PowerShell and BAT stages, created temporary files, loaded XOR-transformed shellcode in memory, and ultimately ran RoKRAT as a fileless payload. RoKRAT collected host details, process information, removable-drive data, and screenshots, then encrypted and attempted to exfiltrate the data through cloud-based C2 services including Dropbox, with references to pCloud and Yandex API patterns. The case matters because it shows APT37 continuing to abuse trusted cloud platforms and fileless LNK execution to evade pattern-based detection.

Indicators of Compromise

Type Value First Seen Last Seen
IPv4 37.120.210.2 2025-05-12 2026-01-21
EMAIL [email protected] 2024-04-23 2025-12-21
URL https://content.dropboxapi.com/… 2020-03-25 2025-09-03
URL https://content.dropboxapi.com/… 2018-09-21 2025-09-03
URL https://cloud-api.yandex.net/v1… 2025-03-10 2025-08-29
URL https://cloud-api.yandex.net/v1… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://cloud-api.yandex.net/v1… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://api.pcloud.com/uploadfi… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://cloud-api.yandex.net/v1… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://api.pcloud.com/getfilel… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://api.pcloud.com/listfold… 2024-04-03 2025-08-29
URL https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/fi… 2023-01-16 2025-08-29
URL https://api.dropboxapi.com/2/fi… 2018-09-21 2025-08-29
URL https://api.pcloud.com/deletefi… 2018-09-21 2025-08-29
DOMAIN cloud-api.yandex.net 2018-02-27 2025-08-29
HASH 7cc8ce5374ff9eacd38491b75cbedf89 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
HASH d5d48f044ff16ef6a4d5bde060ed5cee 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
HASH 8f339a09f0d0202cfaffbd38469490ec 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
HASH 324688238c42d7190a2b50303cbc6a3c 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
HASH 81c08366ea7fc0f933f368b120104384 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
IPv4 89.147.101.65 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
IPv4 89.147.101.71 2025-05-12 2025-05-12
HASH 723f80d1843315717bc56e9e58e89be5 2025-03-27 2025-05-12
HASH 46ca088d5c052738d42bbd6231cc0ed5 2025-03-27 2025-05-12
HASH 2f431c4e65af9908d2182c6a093bf262 2025-03-27 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2024-04-23 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2024-03-27 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2024-03-27 2025-05-12
EMAIL [email protected] 2024-03-27 2025-05-12
HASH 7822e53536c1cf86c3e44e31e77bd088 2023-09-19 2025-05-12
HASH d77c8449f1efc4bfb9ebff496442bbbc 2023-09-19 2025-05-12
HASH a635bd019674b25038cd8f02e15eebd2 2023-09-19 2025-05-12
HASH beeaca6a34fb05e73a6d8b7d2b8c2ee3 2023-09-19 2025-05-12

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