The Russian state-sponsored hacking group APT28 (also known as Fancy Bear/Forest Blizzard/Sofacy) successfully breached a U.S. organization’s network using an innovative “nearest neighbor attack” technique. This attack, discovered by Volexity on February 4, 2022, targeted a Washington, DC-based organization working on Ukraine-related matters.

Key Points:
– APT28, part of Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit 26165, bypassed multi-factor authentication (MFA) through a creative approach
– The hackers first obtained WiFi credentials through password-spraying attacks
– Unable to connect directly due to geographical distance, they compromised organizations in nearby buildings
– They utilized dual-home devices (with both wired and wireless connections) to bridge the gap
– The attack chain involved multiple compromised organizations to reach the target
– The hackers maintained stealth by using native Windows tools for data collection
– They likely exploited a zero-day vulnerability (CVE-2022-38028) in the Windows Print Spooler service

Security Implications:
1. The attack demonstrates that close-access operations can be conducted remotely
2. Corporate WiFi networks require the same level of security as other remote access services
3. Traditional physical security assumptions need to be reconsidered

This sophisticated attack highlights the evolving nature of cyber threats and the need for comprehensive security measures, particularly in wireless network infrastructure.