Tempting Cedar Spyware - Threat Group Cards: A Threat Actor Encyclopedia Archived: 2026-04-06 02:58:19 UTC Home > List all groups > Tempting Cedar Spyware APT group: Tempting Cedar Spyware Names Tempting Cedar Spyware (Avast) Country Lebanon Motivation Information theft and espionage First seen 2015 Description (ZDNet) A hacking campaign used fake Facebook profiles to trick targets into downloading malware capable of stealing vast swathes of information, including messages, photos, audio recordings and even the exact location of victims. The group has been operating since as early as 2015 and is thought to have infected the Android phones of hundreds selected targets across the Middle East. The the highest concentration of infections is in Israel, but victims have also been seen in the US, China, Germany and France. Uncovered by researchers at Avast, the operation has been dubbed 'Tempting Cedar Spyware'. The name combines the main means of attack - by tricking victims using fake social media profiles purporting to be those of a young woman - with the Cedar tree, which features prominently on the flag of Lebanon. The campaign for distributing the malware begins with fake Facebook profiles which are designed to lure in victims - predominantly men - with 'flirty' conversations. Observed Countries: China, France, Germany, Israel, USA. Tools used Tempting Cedar Spyware. Information Last change to this card: 19 April 2020 https://apt.etda.or.th/cgi-bin/showcard.cgi?u=043904a1-321c-421b-86e6-1a8c7b638cbf Page 1 of 2 Download this actor card in PDF or JSON format Source: https://apt.etda.or.th/cgi-bin/showcard.cgi?u=043904a1-321c-421b-86e6-1a8c7b638cbf https://apt.etda.or.th/cgi-bin/showcard.cgi?u=043904a1-321c-421b-86e6-1a8c7b638cbf Page 2 of 2