Elite hackers with alleged ties to Russian intelligence agencies launched a targeted cyberattack on several German political parties last month, aiming to infiltrate their networks and steal sensitive data, as per an alert issued by Germany’s cybersecurity agency and security researchers associated with Alphabet’s Mandiant cyber unit.
The hacking group identified as APT29, believed to operate on behalf of Russia’s SVR foreign spy agency, was intercepted attempting to deceive “key German political figures” through a phishing email disguised as an invitation to a fictional March 1 dinner event hosted by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s center-right political party, Mandiant disclosed.
Germany’s BSI cyber agency corroborated the alert, stating that state-backed cyber spies sought to establish prolonged access and extract data from German political entities. The CDU confirmed its exposure to digital attacks and clarified that the purported March 1 event was fictitious, reiterating the promptness of information received regarding the cyber intrusion.
Neither the alert nor Mandiant specified the targets of the attack, while the BSI refrained from providing additional details or responding to immediate inquiries. The Russian embassy in Washington remained silent regarding the matter.
The cybersecurity alert underscored foreign powers’ heightened interest in espionage activities targeting politicians, especially in light of the “upcoming European elections.” Mandiant’s assessment linked the attack to Russia’s broader agenda aimed at undermining European support for Ukraine, aligning with Moscow’s protracted conflict with Kyiv.
Given Germany’s active military support for Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia, the cyber assault further strains already frosty relations between Berlin and Moscow, characterized by President Vladimir Putin as largely stagnant.
