Stay informed on botnet trends, attacks, and defenses. Get the latest updates and expert insights on botnet threats in information security.
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Background for this topic.
A botnet is a network of compromised internet-connected devices controlled remotely by an attacker through malware. These devices, known as bots, receive commands from centralized or decentralized command-and-control (C2) servers to perform coordinated actions such as launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, sending spam, or distributing additional malware. Botnets vary in size and complexity, often leveraging vulnerabilities in devices or weak authentication to propagate.
In information security, botnets pose significant risks including large-scale service disruptions from DDoS attacks and the unauthorized use of infected devices for malicious activities. Detecting botnet activity involves monitoring network traffic for unusual patterns and identifying communication with known C2 infrastructure. Effective defense includes timely patching of vulnerable systems, blocking C2 domains or IPs based on threat intelligence, and isolating infected hosts to prevent further spread or damage. Coordinated efforts to disrupt botnet infrastructure can reduce their operational impact.
Thousands of ASUS routers have been infected and are believed to be part of a wide-ranging ORB network affecting devices from Linksys, D-Link, QNAP, and Araknis Network.
While the botnet may not be completely automated, it uses certain tactics when targeting devices that indicate that it may, at the very least, be semiautomated.
Persistent Attack Grants Remote SSH Access via ExploitSomeone - possibly nation-state hackers - appears to be constructing a botnet from thousands of Asus routers in hacking that survives a firmware patch and reboots. Nearly 9,000 routers have been compromised and the number is growing, say researchers.
No formal attribution made but two separate probes hint at the same suspect Thousands of Asus routers are currently ensnared by a new botnet that is trying to disable Trend Micro security features before exploiting vulnerabilities for backdoor access.…
Stealthy Malware Installs Cryptomining SoftwareA botnet targeting Internet of Things devices works by brute forcing credentials and downloading cryptomining software. Researchers call the botnet "PumaBot," since its malware checks for the string "Pumatronix," the name of a Brazilian manufacturer of surveillance and traffic camera systems.
A newly discovered Go-based Linux botnet malware named PumaBot is brute-forcing SSH credentials on embedded IoT devices to deploy malicious payloads. [...]
Over 9,000 ASUS routers are compromised by a novel botnet dubbed "AyySSHush" that was also observed targeting SOHO routers from Cisco, D-Link, and Linksys. [...]
Embedded Linux-based Internet of Things (IoT) devices have become the target of a new botnet dubbed PumaBot
Misconfigured Docker API instances have become the target of a new malware campaign that transforms them into a cryptocurrency mining botnet
A multiyear investigation by a public-private partnership has resulted in the seizure of the botnet's US-based infrastructure and indictments for its key players, significantly disrupting a vast cybercriminal enterprise.