Targeting of government networks with Snake malware
Date of report
  • May 2023
Affiliations
The FBI said it had disrupted a malware network, Snake, run by Turla, a unit within Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). Snake had been operational for almost twenty years and had been placed on computers in over fifty countries, including the United States and Russia. The U.S. operation disabled Turla’s Snake malware using a tool that propagated itself across the network of devices compromised by Snake and prompted the FSB’s malware to overwrite its own vital components.
Suspected victims
  • Organizations in over fifty countries, including the United States, Australia, Russia, and members of the European Union
Suspected state sponsor
  • Russian Federation
Type of incident
  • Espionage
Target category
  • Government
  • Military
  • Private sector
  • Civil society
Victim government reaction
  • Yes
Policy response
Suspected state sponsor response