A new cyber espionage tool has been uncovered targeting Lebanon, Iran, and other countries. Dubbed “miniFlame” by the security firm that discovered it, but apparently code-named “John” by its creators, it is related to the Stuxnet cyberweapon deployed against Iranian nuclear installations. Stuxnet is in turn closely related to the DuQu espionage malware and distantly related to Flame and Gauss, both of which are also sophisticated espionage tools. All five pieces of malware are almost certainly state-sponsored, and were created by teams that shared code with one another.

[Photo: RTAmerica / YouTube]