X-Agent or XAgent is a spyware and malware program designed to collect and transmit hacked files from machines running Windows, Linux, iOS, or Android, to servers operated by hackers. It employs

phishing Phishing is a form of social engineering and a scam where attackers deceive people into revealing sensitive information or installing malware such as viruses, worms, adware, or ransomware. Phishing attacks have become increasingly sophisticate ...

attacks and the program is designed to "hop" from device to device. In 2016,

CrowdStrike CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. is an American cybersecurity technology company based in Austin, Texas. It provides endpoint security, threat intelligence, and cyberattack response services. The company has been involved in investigations of seve ...

identified an Android variant of the malware for the first time, and claimed that the malware targeted members of the Ukrainian military by distributing an infected version of an app to control D-30 Howitzer artillery. The

Ukrainian army The Ukrainian Ground Forces (SVZSU, ), also referred to as the Ukrainian army, is a land force, and one of the eight Military branch, branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It was formed from Ukrainian units of the Soviet Army after Declaratio ...

denied CrowdStrike's report and stated that losses of Howitzer artillery pieces had "nothing to do with the stated cause". Slovak computer security company

ESET ESET, s.r.o., is a software company specializing in cybersecurity, founded in 1992 in Bratislava, Slovakia. ESET's security products are made in Europe and provides security software in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Its softwa ...

obtained the X-Agent source code in 2015 and described its inner workings in a report released in October 2016. A US

grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...

indictment charges that agents of the Russian GRU in Moscow "developed, customized and monitored X-Agent malware used to hack the DCCC emocratic Congressional Campaign Committeeand DNC emocratic National Committeenetworks beginning in or around April 2016".

References

Computer viruses Spyware IOS software Android (operating system) {{malware-stub