Security News

Alert: OracleIV DDoS Botnet Targets Public Docker Engine APIs to Hijack Containers
2023-11-14 11:54

Publicly-accessible Docker Engine API instances are being targeted by threat actors as part of a campaign designed to co-opt the machines into a distributed denial-of-service botnet dubbed OracleIV. "Attackers are exploiting this misconfiguration to deliver a malicious Docker container, built from an image named 'oracleiv latest' and containing Python malware compiled as an ELF executable," Cado researchers Nate Bill and Matt Muir said. The malicious activity starts with attackers using an HTTP POST request to Docker's API to retrieve a malicious image from Docker Hub, which, in turn, runs a command to retrieve a shell script from a command-and-control server.

Mysterious Kill Switch Disrupts Mozi IoT Botnet Operations
2023-11-02 13:45

The unexpected drop in malicious activity connected with the Mozi botnet in August 2023 was due to a kill switch that was distributed to the bots. "First, the drop manifested in India on August...

Mozi botnet murder mystery: China or criminal operators behind the kill switch?
2023-11-01 20:00

The Mozi botnet has all but disappeared according to security folks who first noticed the prolific network's slowdown and then uncovered a kill switch for the IoT system. Then this August, the criminal network's activity took "a sudden and unanticipated nosedive," according to ESET Research, which on Wednesday said its team found an activated kill switch to "Put the IoT zombie botnet in its grave."

Mozi malware botnet goes dark after mysterious use of kill-switch
2023-11-01 17:21

Mozi malware botnet activity faded away in August after a mysterious unknown party sent a payload on September 27, 2023, that triggered a kill switch to deactivate all bots. Mozi is a well-known DDoS malware botnet that emerged in 2019, primarily targeting IoT devices such as routers, digital video recorders, and other internet-connected gadgets.

Mirai reloads exploit arsenal as botnet embarks on another expansion drive
2023-10-10 18:15

The infamous Mirai botnet was spotted by researchers who say it is spinning up again, this time with an "Aggressively updated arsenal of exploits." It's the first major update to the IZ1H9 Mirai variant in months and arrives bolstered with tools to break into devices from D-Link and Zyxel, among others.

PEACHPIT: Massive Ad Fraud Botnet Powered by Millions of Hacked Android and iOS
2023-10-09 16:07

An ad fraud botnet dubbed PEACHPIT leveraged an army of hundreds of thousands of Android and iOS devices to generate illicit profits for the threat actors behind the scheme. The botnet is part of...

P2PInfect botnet activity surges 600x with stealthier malware variants
2023-09-20 22:08

The P2PInfect botnet worm is going through a period of highly elevated activity volumes starting in late August and then picking up again in September 2023. Cado says the latest P2PInfect samples feature additions and improvements that make it more capable of spreading to targets and showcase the continuous development of the malware.

Mirai Botnet Variant 'Pandora' Hijacks Android TVs for Cyberattacks
2023-09-07 09:47

A Mirai botnet variant called Pandora has been observed infiltrating inexpensive Android-based TV sets and TV boxes and using them as part of a botnet to perform distributed denial-of-service attacks. Doctor Web said the compromises are likely to occur either during malicious firmware updates or when applications for viewing pirated video content are installed.

FBI-Led Global Effort Takes Down Massive Qakbot Botnet
2023-08-30 23:18

After more than 15 years in the wild, the Qakbot botnet, a zombie network of over 700,000 computers worldwide, is hanging on the FBI's trophy wall for now. A multinational action called Operation "Duck Hunt" - led by the FBI, the Department of Justice, the National Cybersecurity Alliance, Europol, and crime officials in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, Latvia and the U.K. - was able to gain access to the Qakbot network and shut down the malicious botnet, which has affected 700,000 computers worldwide.

Qakbot botnet disrupted, malware removed from 700,000+ victim computers
2023-08-29 18:10

The Qakbot botnet has been crippled by the US Department of Justice: 52 of its servers have been seized and the popular malware loader has been removed from over 700,000 victim computers around the world. "To disrupt the botnet, the FBI was able to redirect Qakbot botnet traffic to and through servers controlled by the FBI, which in turn instructed infected computers in the United States and elsewhere to download a file created by law enforcement that would uninstall the Qakbot malware. This uninstaller was designed to untether the victim computer from the Qakbot botnet, preventing further installation of malware through Qakbot," the Department explained.