unit42.paloaltonetworks.com 5/22/2026, 1:52:18 PM · external

Iranian APT Screening Serpens Unleashes New RATs in Espionage

Iranian APT Screening Serpens Unleashes New RATs in Espionage
CyberSIXT Evidence Panel Source marked as original reporting
Threat Actor
Screening Serpens

THE article reports on the Iranian APT group Screening Serpens, detailing its cyber espionage campaigns from mid-February to April 2026, targeting sectors in the U.S., Israel, UAE, and other Middle Eastern entities. It highlights the emergence of new Remote Access Trojan (RAT) variants, MiniUpdate and MiniJunk V2, along with advanced techniques like AppDomainManager hijacking to evade detection.

The report emphasizes the use of personalized social engineering tactics—for example, fake job applications and imposter video meeting invitations. The group has shown enhanced technical capabilities and operational persistence, reflecting increased sophistication in their malware strategies. The article concludes with an overview of protective measures offered by Palo Alto Networks and encourages vigilance against potential compromises.

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