Summary:
Check Point Research has uncovered a sophisticated phishing campaign conducted by APT29, a Russian state-linked group also known as Midnight Blizzard or Cozy Bear. The campaign targets European diplomatic entities, including embassies, by impersonating a major European Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Victims receive emails themed around diplomatic wine-tasting events, with malicious links that deliver a newly identified initial-stage malware called GRAPELOADER.

GRAPELOADER is a stealthy loader delivered via a .zip archive containing a trojanized PowerPoint executable and obfuscated DLLs. It is responsible for fingerprinting victim machines, establishing persistence through Windows Registry modifications, and initiating command-and-control (C2) communication to await further payloads. Notably, it features advanced anti-analysis techniques such as custom string obfuscation, runtime API resolution, DLL unhooking, and memory evasion tactics that protect the payload from AV/EDR scans.

Further analysis revealed that GRAPELOADER ultimately leads to the execution of an updated variant of WINELOADER, a modular backdoor long associated with APT29. This new WINELOADER sample, disguised as vmtools.dll, contains self-modifying code and an obfuscated export structure designed to evade detection. It maintains persistence via DLL side-loading and gathers detailed environment data before communicating with its own C2 server via HTTPS, using an anomalous User-Agent string that serves as a potential network IoC.


Security Officer Comments:
Both GRAPELOADER and the updated WINELOADER exhibit notable overlaps in code structure, compilation timestamps, and evasion techniques, indicating a shared development lineage. The attackers also continue to rely on DLL side-loading for execution and incorporate significant enhancements to string decryption and structural obfuscation to avoid detection by modern forensic tools. This campaign represents a continuation of previous APT29 operations, including their March 2024 phishing wave, which also used wine-tasting themed lures. The switch from ROOTSAW to GRAPELOADER marks an evolution in their initial access strategy while retaining many of the same core execution methods.

Suggested Corrections:

IOCs:
https://research.checkpoint.com/2025/apt29-phishing-campaign/

Users should always be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information. Most companies will not ask for sensitive data from their customers. If in doubt, users should verify with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.


Users should always take a close look at the sender’s display name when checking the legitimacy of an email. Most companies use a single domain for their URLs and emails, so a message that originates from a different domain is a red flag.


As a general rule, users should not click links or download files even if they come from seemingly “trustworthy” sources.


Check for mismatched URLs. While an embedded URL might seem perfectly valid, hovering above it might show a different web address. In fact, users should avoid clicking links in emails unless they are certain that it is a legitimate link.


Users should always be on the lookout for any grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Legitimate companies will often employ proofreaders and editors who ensure that the materials they send out are error-free.


Users should not be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist tone. They should double check with the company if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts.


Phishing emails are designed to be sent to a large number of people, so they need to be as impersonal as possible. Users should check whether the message contains a generic subject and greeting, as this can be a sign of a phishing attempt.


Although not every end user has access to advanced anti-phishing software, they can still use the built-in protection of their email clients to filter messages. One example is setting the email client to block all images unless approved.


Legitimate companies will never send confirmation emails unless there are specific reasons for doing so. In fact, most companies will avoid sending unsolicited messages unless it’s for company updates, newsletters, or advertising purposes.


Users should always take the context of an email or message into account. For example, most online accounts do away with viewable member numbers, so users should be wary if they receive emails containing a “member number” for services that generally don’t use them.


It is important to take note of unusual information in the text of the message. Any mentions of operating systems and software that are not typically used by consumers can often be indicators of a phishing attempt.


If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Users should always err on the side of caution when it comes to sending out personally identifiable information through messages and emails.


Link(s):
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...-new-grapeloader-malware-in-embassy-phishing/