Tortoiseshell: New Toolset and Operational Infrastructure Exposed

    Date: 08/28/2026

    Severity: High

    Summary

    Tortoiseshell (Mirage Kitten/UNC1549) is an Iranian-linked threat actor affiliated with the IRGC, targeting defence, aerospace, IT, and military organizations. New research uncovered expanded infrastructure across Europe and the Middle East, along with an SSH tunneling tool and a TWOSTROKE-like C++ backdoor capable of reconnaissance, command execution, file upload, and data exfiltration, indicating an expanded targeting profile and evolving toolset. 

    Indicators of Compromise (IOC) List

    Domains/Urls

    neexportfolio.com

    neexportfolio.azurewebsites.net

    neexportfolio.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com

    locat.sbs

    tiktok-u.sbs

    jp2.tiktok-u.sbs

    uk2.locat.sbs

    can2.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae7.locat.sbs

    uae5.locat.sbs

    sau3.locat.sbs

    uae14.locat.sbs

    uae2.locat.sbs

    uae1.locat.sbs

    au1.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae4.locat.sbs

    uae12.locat.sbs

    uae3.locat.sbs

    cloud.tiktok-u.sbs

    5orka.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae11.locat.sbs

    sau1.locat.sbs

    uk2.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae8.tiktok-u.sbs

    can2.locat.sbs

    uae12.tiktok-u.sbs

    au1.locat.sbs

    5orka.locat.sbs

    bel1.locat.sbs

    uae2.tiktok-u.sbs

    sau2.locat.sbs

    uae13.locat.sbs

    uae9.tiktok-u.sbs

    uk1.locat.sbs

    uae7.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae6.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae1.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae4.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae11.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae5.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae10.tiktok-u.sbs

    uk1.tiktok-u.sbs

    jp2.locat.sbs

    bridge1.locat.sbs

    bel1.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae13.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae14.tiktok-u.sbs

    sau2.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae9.locat.sbs

    uae3.tiktok-u.sbs

    sau1.tiktok-u.sbs

    sau3.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae8.locat.sbs

    cloud.locat.sb

    bridge1.tiktok-u.sbs

    uae6.locat.sb

    uae10.locat.sbs

    IP Address

    172.86.98.113

    185.66.68.213

    185.253.116.71

    185.253.116.242

    185.253.118.246

    94.126.227.20

    89.44.80.42

    91.193.16.187

    89.44.80.234

    89.44.80.61

    94.126.227.119

    89.44.80.86

    89.44.80.6

    185.253.116.99

    89.44.80.56

    95.174.68.199

    185.253.116.166

    139.84.202.187

    188.119.149.200

    85.208.86.140

    89.44.80.96

    185.253.116.81

    79.141.167.230

    95.85.235.9

    167.179.89.68

    89.44.80.168

    72.56.34.52

    Hash

    db58adc4a6c192520ed509b20a928279

    07dd28b748656e9e1a870c538d6df68c

    597c40e0b23f38f30a3c85be0510b14985b2948895819c899e3f3c8f200aa437

    d23c1b7b917f53e4e5a608e9870e574f7461eead277726249c4acf4a2b0bef4b

    Gurucul Threat Detection and Incident Response (TDIR) Queries for Detection

    Detection Query 1 :

    domainname like "uae14.locat.sbs" or url like "uae14.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae14.locat.sbs" or domainname like "au1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "au1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "au1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae13.locat.sbs" or url like "uae13.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae13.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae6.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae6.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae6.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae2.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae2.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae2.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "sau2.locat.sbs" or url like "sau2.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "sau2.locat.sbs" or domainname like "bridge1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "bridge1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "bridge1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "sau3.locat.sbs" or url like "sau3.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "sau3.locat.sbs" or domainname like "5orka.locat.sbs" or url like "5orka.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "5orka.locat.sbs" or domainname like "can2.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "can2.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "can2.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "bridge1.locat.sbs" or url like "bridge1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "bridge1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae5.locat.sbs" or url like "uae5.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae5.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae4.locat.sbs" or url like "uae4.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae4.locat.sbs" or domainname like "bel1.locat.sbs" or url like "bel1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "bel1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "sau1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "sau1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "sau1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "jp2.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "jp2.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "jp2.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae3.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae3.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae3.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "jp2.locat.sbs" or url like "jp2.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "jp2.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uk2.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uk2.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uk2.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uk1.locat.sbs" or url like "uk1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uk1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae12.locat.sbs" or url like "uae12.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae12.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae3.locat.sbs" or url like "uae3.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae3.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae10.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae10.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae10.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae11.locat.sbs" or url like "uae11.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae11.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae9.locat.sbs" or url like "uae9.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae9.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae9.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae9.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae9.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "can2.locat.sbs" or url like "can2.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "can2.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae7.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae7.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae7.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae10.locat.sbs" or url like "uae10.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae10.locat.sbs" or domainname like "5orka.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "5orka.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "5orka.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "neexportfolio.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com" or url like "neexportfolio.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com" or siteurl like "neexportfolio.eastus.cloudapp.azure.com" or domainname like "uae7.locat.sbs" or url like "uae7.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae7.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae12.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae12.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae12.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae4.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae4.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae4.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae11.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae11.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae11.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "cloud.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "cloud.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "cloud.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "locat.sbs" or url like "locat.sbs" or siteurl like "locat.sbs" or domainname like "sau1.locat.sbs" or url like "sau1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "sau1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae2.locat.sbs" or url like "uae2.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae2.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae1.locat.sbs" or url like "uae1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "sau2.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "sau2.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "sau2.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae6.locat.sb" or url like "uae6.locat.sb" or siteurl like "uae6.locat.sb" or domainname like "bel1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "bel1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "bel1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uk2.locat.sbs" or url like "uk2.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uk2.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae5.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae5.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae5.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "cloud.locat.sb" or url like "cloud.locat.sb" or siteurl like "cloud.locat.sb" or domainname like "tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "au1.locat.sbs" or url like "au1.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "au1.locat.sbs" or domainname like "uae13.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae13.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae13.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "neexportfolio.com" or url like "neexportfolio.com" or siteurl like "neexportfolio.com" or domainname like "uk1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uk1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uk1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae8.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae8.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae8.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "sau3.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "sau3.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "sau3.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae1.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae1.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae1.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae14.tiktok-u.sbs" or url like "uae14.tiktok-u.sbs" or siteurl like "uae14.tiktok-u.sbs" or domainname like "uae8.locat.sbs" or url like "uae8.locat.sbs" or siteurl like "uae8.locat.sbs" or domainname like "neexportfolio.azurewebsites.net" or url like "neexportfolio.azurewebsites.net" or siteurl like "neexportfolio.azurewebsites.net"

    Detection Query 2 :

    dstipaddress IN ("95.85.235.9","185.66.68.213","89.44.80.86","94.126.227.20","95.174.68.199","94.126.227.119","85.208.86.140","89.44.80.168","89.44.80.234","167.179.89.68","89.44.80.56","91.193.16.187","89.44.80.6","188.119.149.200","185.253.116.242","89.44.80.61","72.56.34.52","172.86.98.113","139.84.202.187","185.253.118.246","185.253.116.99","89.44.80.96","185.253.116.71","185.253.116.81","79.141.167.230","89.44.80.42","185.253.116.166") or srcipaddress IN ("95.85.235.9","185.66.68.213","89.44.80.86","94.126.227.20","95.174.68.199","94.126.227.119","85.208.86.140","89.44.80.168","89.44.80.234","167.179.89.68","89.44.80.56","91.193.16.187","89.44.80.6","188.119.149.200","185.253.116.242","89.44.80.61","72.56.34.52","172.86.98.113","139.84.202.187","185.253.118.246","185.253.116.99","89.44.80.96","185.253.116.71","185.253.116.81","79.141.167.230","89.44.80.42","185.253.116.166")

    Detection Query 3 :

    md5hash IN ("db58adc4a6c192520ed509b20a928279","07dd28b748656e9e1a870c538d6df68c")

    Detection Query 4 :

    sha256hash IN ("d23c1b7b917f53e4e5a608e9870e574f7461eead277726249c4acf4a2b0bef4b","597c40e0b23f38f30a3c85be0510b14985b2948895819c899e3f3c8f200aa437")

    Reference:    

    https://www.group-ib.com/blog/tortoiseshell-apt-toolset-infrastructure/                                        


    Tags

    MalwareThreat ActorIranUNC1549IRGCDefense Industrial BaseInformation TechnologyEuropeThe Middle EastTWOSTROKEBackdoorExfiltration

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