--- title: Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized... description: The Russian threat group Sandworm (APT44), operating as sub-cluster UAC-0145, is running a social engineering campaign targeting system administrators and IT... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8 twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized WireGuard VPN client | daily.dev og:description: The Russian threat group Sandworm (APT44), operating as sub-cluster UAC-0145, is running a social engineering campaign targeting system administrators and IT... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8 og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/YNvPMRXk8.png og:image:alt: Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized WireGuard VPN client og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized WireGuard VPN client **[BleepingComputer](https://daily.dev/sources/bleepingcomputer)** · 3 min read · 2 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary The Russian threat group Sandworm (APT44), operating as sub-cluster UAC-0145, is running a social engineering campaign targeting system administrators and IT professionals via fake job offers. Attackers pose as IT recruiters, move conversations to Telegram, arrange Zoom interviews, and instruct victims to install a trojanized WireGuard VPN client called 'SopraVPN' hosted on SourceForge. The malicious client uses a nonstandard 'SymmetricKey' configuration option to decrypt and execute embedded PowerShell code, with a custom Base64 alphabet to evade analysis. On Windows it creates a scheduled task and downloads additional payloads; on Linux it uses cURL to fetch executables from attacker-controlled infrastructure. CERT-UA attributes the campaign to Sandworm and advises restricting corporate resource access to managed, EDR-protected devices. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How does the fake SopraVPN WireGuard client used in the Sandworm job-offer scam actually infect a machine? It abuses a nonstandard 'SymmetricKey' configuration option that the trojanized WireGuard client supports, which decrypts and executes embedded PowerShell code. On Windows this creates a scheduled task and downloads an additional payload; on Linux it uses cURL to fetch another executable through the VPN tunnel from attacker infrastructure. _IT professionals evaluating VPN clients and job-related tooling can track emerging threat writeups like this on daily.dev._ ### Why can't standard tools detect the malicious code inside the fake SopraVPN WireGuard client? The trojanized client replaces WireGuard's standard Base64 decoding with a custom, dynamically generated Base64 alphabet, making key strings unreadable to standard decoders and hiding the embedded PowerShell payload from typical analysis tools. This is part of the UAC-0145 campaign linked to the Sandworm threat group. _Security-minded developers keep up with obfuscation techniques like this through daily.dev._ ### How is the Sandworm-linked group tricking IT professionals into installing malware during fake job interviews? Attackers, tracked as UAC-0145 and believed to be a Sandworm (APT44) sub-cluster, pose as recruiters or companies like Sopra Steria, move chats to Telegram, run a Zoom interview, then send a mock technical assignment requiring a VPN connection. A deliberately broken VPN config prompts the victim to download a trojanized WireGuard client called SopraVPN from SourceForge. _Job-seeking IT professionals can stay alert to social-engineering campaigns like this via daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [CTI Research: Sandworm / APT44](https://daily.dev/posts/cti-research-sandworm-apt44-qhmgi2dli) · InfoSec Write-ups · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Iranian hackers targeted major South Korean electronics maker](https://daily.dev/posts/iranian-hackers-targeted-major-south-korean-electronics-maker-73rq7fupn) · BleepingComputer · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Web Shells, Tunnels, and Ransomware: Dissecting a Warlock Attack](https://daily.dev/posts/web-shells-tunnels-and-ransomware-dissecting-a-warlock-attack-pabj8acyc) · Trend Micro · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#security](https://daily.dev/tags/security), [#malware](https://daily.dev/tags/malware) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized WireGuard VPN client","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8"},"datePublished":"2026-08-11T21:08:22.378Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T06:29:21.107Z","description":"The Russian threat group Sandworm (APT44), operating as sub-cluster UAC-0145, is running a social engineering campaign targeting system administrators and IT...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/760085ac71edda539004ddbcb9d1ca46?_a=AQAEuop","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/f_auto,q_auto/v1/posts/760085ac71edda539004ddbcb9d1ca46?_a=AQAEuop","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"BleepingComputer","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"BleepingComputer","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--as8nJ3qy--/f_auto,q_auto/v1774959951/logos/bleepingcomputer?_a=BAMAMiWQ0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/bleepingcomputer"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":2},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"security,malware","timeRequired":"PT3M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"BleepingComputer","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/bleepingcomputer"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Sandworm hackers target IT pros with trojanized WireGuard VPN client"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/sandworm-hackers-target-it-pros-with-trojanized-wireguard-vpn-client-ynvpmrxk8#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How does the fake SopraVPN WireGuard client used in the Sandworm job-offer scam actually infect a machine?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It abuses a nonstandard 'SymmetricKey' configuration option that the trojanized WireGuard client supports, which decrypts and executes embedded PowerShell code. On Windows this creates a scheduled task and downloads an additional payload; on Linux it uses cURL to fetch another executable through the VPN tunnel from attacker infrastructure. IT professionals evaluating VPN clients and job-related tooling can track emerging threat writeups like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why can't standard tools detect the malicious code inside the fake SopraVPN WireGuard client?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The trojanized client replaces WireGuard's standard Base64 decoding with a custom, dynamically generated Base64 alphabet, making key strings unreadable to standard decoders and hiding the embedded PowerShell payload from typical analysis tools. This is part of the UAC-0145 campaign linked to the Sandworm threat group. 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