Circles

MITRE ATT&CK: S0602 View on attack.mitre.org

Aliases: Circles

Malware type
spyware
Family
Malware family
Profile updated
2026-07-07 15:29:11

Targeted industries: government-and-public-sector technology-and-telecommunications

Context

Circles reportedly takes advantage of Signaling System 7 (SS7) weaknesses, the protocol suite used to route phone calls, to both track the location of mobile devices and intercept voice calls and SMS messages. It can be connected to a telecommunications company’s infrastructure or purchased as a cloud service. Circles has reportedly been linked to the NSO Group.

Malware & tools used

  • Impersonate SS7 Nodes (attack-pattern)

Reports & references

  • MITRE ATT&CK — S0602 (report)
  • citizenlab.ca — Running In Circles Uncovering The Clients Of Cyberespionage Firm Circles (report)

External references