[Stanley]

Dust Specter Targets Iraqi Officials with New SPLITDROP and GHOSTFORM Malware

A suspected Iran-nexus threat actor has been attributed to a campaign targeting government officials in Iraq by impersonating the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver a set of never-before-seen malware.
Zscaler ThreatLabz, which observed the activity in January 2026, is tracking the cluster under the name Dust Specter. The attacks, which manifest in the form of two different

https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/dust-s...cials.html

[W1NK1LL3RX]

This shows how effective impersonation still is in cyberattacks. By pretending to be Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and using new malware like SPLITDROP and GHOSTFORM, Dust Specter was able to target government officials with a pretty convincing lure. It’s a solid reminder that email security, user awareness, and monitoring for unusual activity are still critical.