GoldenSMTP
GoldenSMTP is an SMTP/IMAP-based implant assessed by Check Point Research in 2025 as part of an evolution of the IndigoZebra APT’s activity targeting government entities in Central Asia. The implant communicates through attacker-controlled email accounts, using email protocols for command-and-control. Reported intrusion activity associated with GoldenSMTP included phishing with password-protected ZIP archives, DLL hijacking, and the use of additional tools such as the Pandora RC installer and the NPPSPY credential stealer. High-confidence reporting in the provided content links GoldenSMTP to government-focused espionage operations in Central Asia and identifies its distinctive C2 mechanism as SMTP/IMAP communications via attacker-controlled mailboxes.
Hunt this family in your stack
Mallory pivots from this family to the IOCs, detections, and named campaigns that touch your stack, and pages you when something new lands.
Techniques & procedures
3 distinct techniques documented for this family, organized by ATT&CK tactic.
Initial Access
1 technique
Initial Access
Execution
1 technique
Execution
Stealth
1 technique
Stealth
Recent activity
2 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
SMTP/IMAP-based implant that uses attacker-controlled email accounts as a C2 channel to blend into normal email traffic and reduce detection.
SMTP/IMAP-based implant that uses attacker-controlled email accounts as a C2 channel to blend into normal email traffic and reduce detection.
The version that knows your environment.
Match every observed IP, domain, and hash against your live telemetry.
Named campaigns wielding this family, with evidence pinned to each claim.
CVEs this family uses for access and lateral movement.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Every documented technique, ranked by evidence weight.
Reddit, Mastodon, and CTI community discussion around this family.