Spanish-speaking group conducting espionage against Latin American military and government institutions since 2010. This profile is mapped to MITRE ATT&CK G0095 and covers attribution, tooling, targeting, and defensive recommendations based on observed campaigns.
Overview & Attribution
Machete (also tracked as APT-C-43, El Machete) is a threat group attributed to Unknown (Spanish-speaking). The group primarily targets Latin American military, government for intelligence collection and operational objectives aligned with state interests.
This group is tracked as G0095 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 Machete include:
- Machete backdoor (Python)
Targeting & Operations
Machete operations focus on Latin American military, government. 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 Latin American military sector should treat Machete 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 Machete operations:
| Technique ID | Technique Name | Tactical Context |
|---|---|---|
| T1566.001 | T1566.001 | Observed in Machete campaigns |
| T1059.006 | T1059.006 | Observed in Machete campaigns |
| T1025 | T1025 | Observed in Machete campaigns |
| T1113 | T1113 | Observed in Machete campaigns |
Full ATT&CK mapping: https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0095/
Notable Campaigns
This threat group has been active in operations targeting Latin American military, government. Security researchers have documented campaigns involving Machete backdoor (Python) and other tools deployed against organizations in multiple countries. Attribution confidence varies by campaign, but consistent infrastructure and TTP overlap links activity to Unknown (Spanish-speaking)-nexus operations.
Detection & Defense
Recommended defensive measures against Machete:
- Network monitoring: Detect C2 beaconing patterns associated with Machete backdoor (Python) and related implants
- Endpoint detection: Deploy behavioral rules for the ATT&CK techniques above, particularly T1566.001 and T1059.006
- 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 G0095 in MITRE ATT&CK
How Mjolnir Security Can Help
Defend Against Machete
Mjolnir Security provides tailored threat intelligence, detection engineering, and incident response services to help organizations defend against Unknown (Spanish-speaking)-nexus threat actors.
Contact us: mjolnirsecurity.com
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