Japan Weekly Threat Report Jan 7-27

7 hours ago
5 min read

Author(s): Unit Zero Threat Research Team

🔍 Japan Darkweb Activity

In the period from January 7 to January 27, 2026, darkweb monitoring revealed a surge in data leaks and illicit sales targeting Japanese entities, primarily via forums like BreachForums, LeakBase, and DarkNetArmy. Key activities included the sale of personal data and leaks of corporate/government documents, often attributed to ransomware groups like Clop. No activities were noted between January 7 and January 19, but escalation occurred in the latter half:

January 20: Sale of 39,000 Japanese marriage and dating records ("日本婚恋交友3.9万条，单身约炮相亲"), focusing on personal matchmaking data for single individuals.
January 21: Leak of a confidential Japanese government document on rare earth metal mining ("[JAPAN] CONFIDENTIAL GOV RARE EARTH METAL MINING DOCUMENT LEAKED") by user jrintel on BreachForums, including a single PPTX file.
January 22: Marginal mention of a mixed China user data leak (2 million records) on LeakBase, with indirect ties to Japan via shared regional data markets.
January 24: Clop ransomware group leaked data from SATO-GLOBAL.COM; concurrent forum discussion on Craxpro about Japanese government responses to yen weakness.
January 25: Clop leak from SUMITOMOCHEMICAL.COM.
January 26: Clop leaks from MAZDA.COM and CANON.COM; separate leak of EMACHI.CO.JP database containing 830,000 Japanese store owners' details (phones, emails); partial mention of Red Tiger Support leak impacting multiple countries, including Japan-related entities.

These activities highlight a focus on industrial espionage (e.g., rare earth metals) and data commodification, with Clop dominating corporate leaks. No significant forum discussions on new threat actor recruitment or tooling specific to Japan were observed.

🔒 Japan Ransomware Victims

Ransomware incidents targeting Japanese organizations showed a notable uptick in the reviewed period, with actors like Clop, Brain Cipher, and others exploiting supply chain vulnerabilities. Victims spanned manufacturing, media, and ICT sectors. Confirmed cases from January 7-27, 2026, include:

January 10: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (manufacturing) claimed by Everest group; 900 GB exfiltrated, including potential customer and operational data.
January 14: The Asahi Shimbun (news/media) claimed by Bestjpdata1; 1.8 million rows leaked, including user emails, metadata, and internal articles.
January 21: SINCERE Corp. (energy/utilities) claimed by The Gentlemen; pending verification, with potential environmental data exposure.
January 21: Suntory Holdings (manufacturing) affected via subcontractor JPS ransomware; 914 individuals' data (names, contacts) potentially exposed.
January 22: Kansai Sogo System Co., Ltd. (ICT) hit by Brain Cipher; 500 GB exfiltrated, including SQL/Oracle databases; ransom deadline February 6, 2026.
January 24: LTS Group (education/healthcare) posted by Worldleaks; details limited, but includes sensitive sector data.
January 25: Golden Growth Biotechnology (biotechnology) posted by Nightspire; biotech data potentially compromised.
January 25-26: Clop leaks from Sumitomo Chemical, Mazda, and Canon (manufacturing/tech), tied to Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day exploitation.

A 40% surge in ransomware attacks on Japan was reported, often via third-party vendors, leading to operational halts (e.g., Asahi factories). Victims faced long recovery times, emphasizing supply chain risks.

📊 Data Breaches in Japan

Beyond ransomware, standalone breaches targeted personal and corporate data, with impacts on over 2 million records across sectors. Key incidents:

January 4: Nissan Fukuoka Sales (manufacturing) exposed 21,000 customers' data (names, addresses, emails) via contractor Red Hat breach; no fraud reported yet.
January 6: Gurunavi (Rakuten Gurunavi, ICT) claimed by daghetiaw; 639,000 records leaked (emails, phones, addresses, reservations).
January 7: Smaregi (ICT) claimed by lulzintel; 100,000 customers' data (names, phones) exposed.

Top breaches compiled for January include these, with cyber incidents ranked as the primary business risk (61% of firms). Government data leaks on darkweb spanned 20+ countries, including Japan.

⚔️ APT/Threat Campaigns Targeting Japan

State-aligned campaigns intensified, with North Korean and Chinese actors focusing on espionage. Notable activities:

January 22: North Korean KONNI (Kimsuky) expanded phishing to Japan (alongside Australia/India), using AI-generated PowerShell backdoors for credential theft in blockchain/engineering sectors.
Ongoing (noted Jan 2026): China-linked LongNosedGoblin abused Windows Group Policy for lateral movement in governmental networks in Japan/Southeast Asia.
Ongoing (referenced Jan 2026): MirrorFace (China) conducted cyber-espionage on Japanese organizations since 2019, stealing secrets for geopolitical leverage.

TTPs include phishing lures, AI-assisted malware, and supply chain compromises, aligning with regional tensions.

🛡️ Recent 0-day/N-day Exploits Affecting Japan

Exploits demoed at events and patched in January targeted critical infrastructure, with implications for Japanese firms:

January 21-23: Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 (Tokyo-hosted) saw 76 zero-days exploited, including Tesla infotainment (37 vulns); $1M+ awarded.
January 13: Microsoft Patch Tuesday fixed 113 vulns, including active zero-day CVE-2026-20805 in Windows.
January 20: Oracle Jan 2026 CPU addressed 158 CVEs, including max-severity CVE-2026-21962 in HTTP Server/WebLogic.
January 23: Fortinet confirmed active exploitation of FortiGate SSO bug (CVE unpatched fully from Dec 2025).
N-day: Clop exploited Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day in Japan leaks.

Japanese entities in automotive/tech sectors are vulnerable, with events like JSAC2026 highlighting Ivanti exploits.

📊 Data Breaches in Japan

Beyond ransomware, standalone breaches targeted personal and corporate data, with impacts on over 2 million records across sectors. Key incidents:

January 4: Nissan Fukuoka Sales (manufacturing) exposed 21,000 customers' data (names, addresses, emails) via contractor Red Hat breach; no fraud reported yet.
January 6: Gurunavi (Rakuten Gurunavi, ICT) claimed by daghetiaw; 639,000 records leaked (emails, phones, addresses, reservations).
January 7: Smaregi (ICT) claimed by lulzintel; 100,000 customers' data (names, phones) exposed.
January 26: Asahi Group (manufacturing) ransomware forced shutdown of 30 factories; millions potentially affected via data breach.

Top breaches compiled for January include these, with cyber incidents ranked as the primary business risk (61% of firms). Government data leaks on darkweb spanned 20+ countries, including Japan.

🛡️ Recent 0-day/N-day Exploits Affecting Japan

Exploits demoed at events and patched in January targeted critical infrastructure, with implications for Japanese firms:

January 21-23: Pwn2Own Automotive 2026 (Tokyo-hosted) saw 76 zero-days exploited, including Tesla infotainment (37 vulns); $1M+ awarded.
January 13: Microsoft Patch Tuesday fixed 113 vulns, including active zero-day CVE-2026-20805 in Windows.
January 20: Oracle Jan 2026 CPU addressed 158 CVEs, including max-severity CVE-2026-21962 in HTTP Server/WebLogic.
January 23: Fortinet confirmed active exploitation of FortiGate SSO bug (CVE unpatched fully from Dec 2025).
N-day: Clop exploited Oracle E-Business Suite zero-day in Japan leaks.

Japanese entities in automotive/tech sectors are vulnerable, with events like JSAC2026 highlighting Ivanti exploits.

📈 Defensive Posture and Trending Actor TTPs

Japanese firms face elevated risks, with cyber threats as top concern (61%). Trending TTPs: AI-generated malware (KONNI, VoidLink), supply chain attacks (Clop, ransomware via subcontractors), phishing with blockchain lures, and Group Policy abuse (LongNosedGoblin). Defensive trends include Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law (effective Jan 2026), enabling proactive threat neutralization. Recommendations: Patch management, AI detection, and multi-factor for supply chains.

🔮 Forward-Looking Analysis on Incoming Threats

Looking ahead, expect intensified APT activity from North Korea (KONNI expansions) and China (MirrorFace/LongNosedGoblin) amid geopolitical strains, targeting critical infrastructure/telecom. Ransomware will rise 40%+ via zero-days in cloud/AI environments (e.g., VoidLink). Emerging risks: AI-driven botnets (GoBruteforcer) exploiting misconfigured servers, and hybrid extortion (Sicarii-style). Proactive measures: Leverage new laws for active defense, monitor darkweb for early leaks, and adopt zero-trust for supply chains to mitigate 2026 spikes.