Threat Overview
A new threat group named Crimson Collective has been observed operating in the cloud, specifically targeting AWS environments. This group is known for data exfiltration and subsequent extortion of victims.
The Crimson Collective recently claimed responsibility for an attack on Red Hat, where they allegedly stole private repositories from Red Hat’s GitLab.
Threat Group Details
Over the past few weeks, Rapid7 has documented increased activity from this threat group. The attacks are aimed at exploiting vulnerabilities in AWS cloud environments to gain unauthorized access and exfiltrate sensitive data.
The Crimson Collective’s primary goal is to extort money from their victims by threatening to release stolen information if their demands are not met. This type of attack underscores the growing sophistication and boldness of cybercriminals targeting cloud infrastructure.
Threat Report Details
The threat report, published by AlienVault on October 10th, 2025, provides a comprehensive analysis of Crimson Collective’s tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). The report includes:
- Confidence Level: 100%
- Reliability: A – Completely reliable
- Revoke Status: False
- Number of Connected Elements: 51
Key Observations
The report highlights several key observations about Crimson Collective’s activities:
- The group targets AWS environments, exploiting known vulnerabilities to gain access.
- The primary goal is data exfiltration followed by extortion.
- The recent attack on Red Hat demonstrates the group’s capability to breach high-profile targets.
Recommendations for Mitigation
To protect against attacks from the Crimson Collective and similar threat groups, security analysts should consider the following recommendations:
- Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits of cloud environments to identify and address vulnerabilities.
- Patch Management: Implement a robust patch management program to ensure that all systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches.
- Access Control: Enforce strict access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to sensitive data.
- Incident Response Plan: Develop and regularly update an incident response plan to quickly detect and respond to potential breaches.
- Employee Training: Provide ongoing training for employees on recognizing and responding to phishing attempts and other social engineering tactics.
External References
The following external references provide additional information about the Crimson Collective threat group:
