HEAVYGRAM Spyware Uses Telegram Bots for Command and Control Against Iranian Targets
Researchers from Group-IB have published a detailed technical analysis of HEAVYGRAM, a spyware strain that uses the legitimate Telegram messaging service as its command-and-control infrastructure.
The investigation identified 29 additional samples, including loaders and final-stage payloads. Instead of maintaining their own servers that could be taken down, the operators route all communications through the Telegram Bot API. In the observed models, one or two bots handle victim registration, log storage, and delivery of subsequent stages.
Once installed, HEAVYGRAM performs several surveillance functions: it captures screenshots, records audio from the microphone, collects cached data, and steals information from Telegram Desktop installed on the compromised system. The malware can also execute arbitrary commands, deploy additional payloads, and delete files to cover its tracks.
Distribution occurs primarily through messaging platforms. Attackers send files disguised as well-known applications or services, including Pictory, KeePass, and various Telegram-related programs. Some samples arrive as HTML applications or scripts.
The campaign has been active since the second half of 2023 and focuses on Iranian journalists, dissidents, and individuals opposed to the Iranian government. Group-IB attributes the operation to the Handala Hack group with moderate confidence, describing the link as probable rather than definitive.
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