Get the latest tech news

DOJ quietly removed Russian malware from routers in US homes and businesses


Feds once again fix up compromised retail routers under court order.

That malware, which worked as a botnet for the Russian hacking group Fancy Bear, was removed in January 2024 under a secret court order as part of "Operation Dying Ember," according to the FBI's director. Unlike previous attacks by Fancy Bear—that the DOJ ties to GRU Military Unit 26165, which is also known as APT 28, Sofacy Group, and Sednit, among other monikers—the Ubiquiti intrusion relied on a known malware, Moobot. Malware said by the DOJ to be tied to the Chinese government was removed from SOHO routers by the FBI last month in similar fashion to the most recently revealed operation, targeting Cisco and Netgear devices that had mostly reached their end of life and were no longer receiving security patches.

Get the Android app

Or read this on r/technology

Read more on:

Photo of Russian

Russian

Photo of Routers

Routers

Photo of businesses

businesses

Related news:

News photo

Wyze camera security issue allowed users to see other owners' homes

News photo

FBI disrupts Russian Moobot botnet infecting Ubiquiti routers

News photo

Leak of Russian ‘Threat’ Part of a Bid to Kill US Surveillance Reform, Sources Say