PlushDaemon
A China-aligned espionage group that hijacks legitimate updates of Chinese apps to deliver a back door. It also swapped the installer of a South Korean VPN product.
- Alert level
- 1/ 5
- Reports & advisories (90 days)
- 0
- Known exploited CVEs
- 0
- Personal data leaked (disclosed)
- None confirmed
Attribution
- Assessed as a China-aligned espionage group — ESET
How they attack
Entry
Hijacking software updates
Like intercepting a regular delivery and swapping the contents before it reaches the door.
Entry
Swapping the vendor's installer
Like swapping a product's contents at the factory before it ever reaches the store shelf.
Inside
A big modular back door
Like leaving a multi-tool in the house that can be fitted with whatever blade is needed.
Sources
Attributions are quoted as assessed by governments and security vendors. VulnPulse does not make attributions itself.
Leak counts only add up figures disclosed by the affected companies or authorities, never the attackers' own claims. We do not list victim names or link to leak sites.
The alert level is calculated automatically from reports and advisories in the last 90 days, known exploited vulnerabilities, and whether the group has targeted Japan.
Updated 2026-10-23 · daily