Russian Hackers Exploit RDP, VPNs, Supply Chains for Initial Access

Russian state-aligned APTs are increasingly using combined vectors — exposed RDP and VPN services (via brute force and credential stuffing), exploitation of unpatched edge/VPN devices, supply-chain compromises, and sophisticated social engineering (OAuth/device-code phishing and QR-based messaging attacks) — to gain and maintain access to government, critical infrastructure, and commercial networks. The report highlights 2024–2025 campaigns delivering malicious RDP configuration files and weaponized documents exploiting zero-days, and advises stronger MFA, network segmentation, rapid patching, supplier risk management, and anti-phishing controls.