4 Chinese APTs Attack Taiwan's Semiconductor Industry

Proofpoint researchers identified four previously undocumented APT clusters conducting phishing campaigns against Taiwan's semiconductor sector; attackers used malicious PDFs and password-protected archives to deliver Cobalt Strike and custom backdoors (Voldemort, HealthKick, SparkRAT) and employed unusual C2 techniques such as Google Sheets. Targets included HR, legal personnel, and investment analysts, and activity has increased in volume and sophistication, suggesting state-aligned espionage aimed at Taiwan's geopolitically critical semiconductor supply chain.