China-Linked Hackers Use Malware Trio for Telecom Espionage

A China-linked cyberespionage group, identified as UAT-9244 and linked to Famous Sparrow and Tropic Trooper, has been targeting telecommunications providers in South America since 2024 using a trio of new malware: TernDoor (Windows backdoor), PeerTime (Linux backdoor), and BruteEntry (credential brute-forcing tool). These tools are designed for persistent access, data collection, and expanding network reach, with PeerTime uniquely using the BitTorrent protocol for command and control.