Proxy
FBI disrupts proxy network enabling Chinese espionage operations
The FBI has disrupted infrastructure associated with a technical “quartermaster” that provided reconnaissance, proxy management, and operational routing capabilities for Chinese cyber espionage activities. According to the Department of Justice, a threat actor known as QTFY/QT/QTCYBER utilized two “hacking platforms known as ‘QScan’ and ‘QTRouter,’” in attacks targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and other sensitive networks. Among QTFY’s […]
Hackers infect Android car head units with proxy botnet malware
A supply-chain attack targeting Android-based car head units is using a legitimate device-update app to spread malware that enlists compromised devices in a proxy botnet or uses them for ad fraud. Kaspersky researchers analyzed the malware and attributed the operation to the MoYu group, a threat actor previously associated with the BadBox malware botnet. The researchers […]
New Evooo1Bot Linux botnet turns routers into traffic relay nodes
A new Mirai-based modular Linux botnet malware called Evooo1Bot has been targeting internet-facing gateway devices, turning them into SOCKS5 traffic relay nodes. The malware’s capabilities extend beyond turning devices into proxy nodes and include credential theft, SSH brute-forcing, and launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Since at least July, Evooo1Bot has been targeting devices from Alcatel, […]
Hundreds of fake Chrome VPN extensions route traffic through a proxy
More than 737 browser extensions published on the Chrome Web Store impersonated well-known VPN and proxy services while routing users’ traffic through SOCKS5 proxies operated by a single provider. Some of the extensions impersonated dozens of established brands, including Proton VPN, NordVPN, Surfshark, ExpressVPN, and Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public domain name system (DNS) resolver. Researchers at […]
New Dysphoria DDoS botnet spreads to 200k devices worldwide
A botnet called Dysphoria has compromised around 200,000 devices across the world and is using them for distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks and traffic relay operations. According to QiAnXin XLab cybersecurity researchers, Dysphoria evolved from the ‘jackskid’ and ‘fbot’ malware by adding a covert blockchain-based command-and-control (C2) resolution mechanism. Specifically, the botnet uses Ethereum […]
NetNut proxy network disrupted, 2 million infected devices cut off
A joint operation involving Google has disrupted NetNut, a residential proxy network that gave access to millions of compromised Android devices, including smart TVs and streaming boxes. Also known as Popa, the NetNut botnet allowed cybercriminals and espionage groups to hide behind legitimate home internet addresses when launching attacks. According to the Google Threat Intelligence […]
Dutch govt disrupts malware botnet with 17 million infected devices
Dutch authorities have taken offline a massive botnet of 17 million devices and seized more than 200 servers at a local provider that supported the operation. The action was carried out following an investigation from the Police in collaboration with the country’s cybersecurity agency, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). According to the authorities, the […]
TrickMo Android banker adopts TON blockchain for covert comms
A new variant of the TrickMo Android banking malware, delivered in campaigns targeting users across Europe, introduces new commands and uses The Open Network (TON) for stealthy command-and-control communications. The TrickMo banker was first spotted in September 2019 and has remained in active development, constantly receiving updates since then. In October 2024, Zimperium analyzed 40 variants of the malware […]
The Gentlemen ransomware now uses SystemBC for bot-powered attacks
A SystemBC proxy malware botnet of more than 1,570 hosts, believed to be corporate victims, has been discovered following an investigation into a Gentlemen ransomware attack carried out by a gang affiliate. The Gentlemen ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) operation emerged around mid-2025 and provides a Go-based locker that can encrypt Windows, Linux, NAS, and BSD systems, and a […]
US disrupts SocksEscort proxy network powered by Linux malware
Law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and Europe, along with private partners, have disrupted the SocksEscort cybercrime proxy network that relied solely on edge devices compromised via the AVRecon malware for Linux. According to Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs (BLL), which helped the U.S. Department of Justice take down Socksescort, the proxy network had a constant average of 20,000 […]