Mirage Kitten targets Middle East and Africa region with new malware

Kaspersky researchers reveal previously undocumented malware attributed to Mirage Kitten (UNC1549, Smoke Sandstorm, Nimbus Manticore): NightLedger backdoor, ArcBridge, and BridgeHead tunneling tools. The reporting underscores the importance of treating third-party software and infrastructure as part of your own attack surface, since trust in a vendor is only as strong as the vendor’s own security posture. Finally, maintain offline, tested backups and a clear communication plan so that business continuity decisions are made ahead of time rather than under pressure.