Iranian group conducting Operation Cleaver targeting critical infrastructure across 16 countries including military, energy, and aviation. This profile is mapped to MITRE ATT&CK G0003 and covers attribution, tooling, targeting, and defensive recommendations based on observed campaigns.
Overview & Attribution
Cleaver (also tracked as TG-2889) is a threat group attributed to Iran. The group primarily targets Military, energy, transportation, healthcare for intelligence collection and operational objectives aligned with state interests.
This group is tracked as G0003 in the MITRE ATT&CK framework. All techniques referenced in this report are mapped to ATT&CK for consistent threat modeling and detection engineering.
Arsenal & Tools
Known tools and malware associated with Cleaver include:
- TinyZBot
- SynFlooder
- custom tools
Targeting & Operations
Cleaver operations focus on Military, energy, transportation, healthcare. The group typically gains initial access through spear-phishing, exploitation of public-facing applications, or strategic web compromises before deploying custom implants for persistent access and data exfiltration.
Organizations in the Military sector should treat Cleaver as a relevant threat and validate their detection coverage against the MITRE ATT&CK techniques listed below.
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
Key techniques observed in Cleaver operations:
| Technique ID | Technique Name | Tactical Context |
|---|---|---|
| T1133 | T1133 | Observed in Cleaver campaigns |
| T1078 | T1078 | Observed in Cleaver campaigns |
| T1059.001 | T1059.001 | Observed in Cleaver campaigns |
| T1005 | T1005 | Observed in Cleaver campaigns |
Full ATT&CK mapping: https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0003/
Notable Campaigns
This threat group has been active in operations targeting Military, energy, transportation, healthcare. Security researchers have documented campaigns involving TinyZBot and other tools deployed against organizations in multiple countries. Attribution confidence varies by campaign, but consistent infrastructure and TTP overlap links activity to Iran-nexus operations.
Detection & Defense
Recommended defensive measures against Cleaver:
- Network monitoring: Detect C2 beaconing patterns associated with TinyZBot and related implants
- Endpoint detection: Deploy behavioral rules for the ATT&CK techniques above, particularly T1133 and T1078
- Email security: Implement robust phishing defenses including URL sandboxing and attachment detonation
- Patch management: Prioritize patching of internet-facing applications exploited by this group
- Threat hunting: Proactively hunt for IOCs and behavioral indicators mapped to G0003 in MITRE ATT&CK
How Mjolnir Security Can Help
Defend Against Cleaver
Mjolnir Security provides tailored threat intelligence, detection engineering, and incident response services to help organizations defend against Iran-nexus threat actors.
Contact us: mjolnirsecurity.com
Stay ahead of emerging threats. Get notified when we publish new intelligence reports and advisories.
Subscribe to Alerts