Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Unauthenticated Flaw Allows Full Router, Network TakeoverA hidden backdoor, disclosed by CERT/CC and found in multiple firmware versions made by Chinese manufacturer Tenda, bypasses authentication and could grant attackers administrative access. Researchers are reporting exploitation and an Nmap script is making vulnerable devices easier to identify.

Routing Malicious Traffic Through Hacked IoT Devices Is Leading to 'IoC Extinction'Networks comprised of hacked domestic devices underpin a mounting number of Chinese nation-state hacking operations, warned British, U.S. and a slew of other national cybersecurity agencies. The networks comprise small office home office routers, IoT equipment and smart devices.

Also, More ClickFix Attacks and Teen Booters Arrested in PolandThis week, Russian hackers targeted Signal and WhatsApp users, permit-fee phishing hit U.S. applicants, ClickFix on WordPress sites, Microsoft patched 80 bugs, a 14K-router botnet, Polish teens held over DDoS tools and Finland warned of Russian, Chinese espionage. North Korean IT workers for hire.

Router Maker Accuses Rivals, Competitors of Smear CampaignThe Texas attorney general invoked state consumer protection law to sue Wi-Fi router maker TP-Link Systems for misrepresenting its connections to mainland China and the security of its ubiquitous devices. The suit says TP-Link should be forced to declare that their products are made in China.

Researchers Suspect a Chinese ROB-Building OperationSuspected Chinese cyberespionage hackers have commandeered tens of thousands of Asus routers in an operation showing a heavy emphasis on infecting devices stationed in Taiwan. The campaign tracks with reports that Beijing is actively pressing unpatched routers into ORB networks.

ShortLeash Backdoor Hijacks SOHO Linux DevicesLikely Chinese nation-state hackers are converting Internet of Things devices including Ruckus Wireless home routers into an operational relay box network - a run of infections creating more digital infrastructure almost certainly used for cyberespionage.

'Weaver Ant' Used Web Shell Tunneling and Hacked Routers to Evade DetectionAn apparently Chinese cyber espionage operation lurked inside the network of an Asian telecom for four years, camouflaging its presence through nested encryption and lightweight web shells. Chinese hackers have been uncovered on the inside of telecom networks spanning the globe.

Juniper Networks Urges Immediate Updating and Malware Scans to Block AttackersHackers have been infecting outdated Juniper MX routers with backdoor malware as part of an apparent cyberespionage campaign that traces to a Chinese-affiliated hacking team tracked as UNC 3886, warned Google's Mandiant incident response group.

Attackers Exploiting OS Command Injection VulnerabilityHackers are exploiting a high-severity command injection vulnerability in Chinese-manufactured Four-Faith industrial routers. Typical customers of Four-Faith use the routers for remote monitoring, control systems, supervisory control and data acquisition networks.

Major Chinese Router Manufacturer Facing Increased Scrutiny After Chinese EspionageU.S. authorities have launched multiple investigations while reportedly considering banning the widely popular Chinese-manufactured TP-Link routers amid ongoing security risks linked to Chinese cyberespionage and hacking campaigns targeting American critical infrastructure sectors.

Beijing's Tough-to-Track Mesh Networks Built Using Hacked Devices, Mandiant WarnsMultiple Chinese cyber espionage groups, including Volt Typhoon, are using operational relay box networks, aka ORBs, built using leased proxy servers and compromised or end-of-life routers, to avoid detection and complicate efforts to track their activities, warns Google Cloud's Mandiant.

Attackers Exploit Old Flaw, Hijack TP-Link Archer RoutersHalf a dozen different botnets are prowling the internet for TP-Link-brand Wi-Fi routers unpatched since last summer with the goal of commandeering them into joining distributed denial-of-service attacks. Chinese router manufacture TP-Link in June patched a command injection vulnerability.

Volume of Poorly Secured, Legacy IoT That Can Be Turned Against Us Keeps GrowingThe FBI announcing that it has forcibly removed "KV Botnet" Chinese nation-state malware from "hundreds" of poorly secured SOHO routers across America highlights the risk posed by the growing volume of outdated IoT devices. The FBI's fix is temporary, and we need a more permanent solution.

'Volt Typhoon' Could Be Preparing for Renewed Burst of ActivityA Chinese state hacking group is attacking superseded Cisco routers to target government entities in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Beijing cyberespionage hackers dubbed "Volt Typhoon" are using vulnerabilities that were first disclosed in early 2019.