NetNut cracked as Google and FBI target 2 million-device botnet


Tech companies working with US law enforcement “significantly degraded” the NetNut residential proxy network as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt the tools cybercriminals use to conceal their activity, say researchers.

The work was carried out by Google, Lumen, Shadowserver, the FBI, and others, and marks a continuation of the IPIDEA proxy network disruption from January.

According to Google Cloud, those working on the operation believe NetNut was among the most popular residential proxy network providers and had at least 2 million devices enrolled in its botnet, comprising mainly small TV-streaming hardware. Crims often use residential proxy networks to make it look like their traffic is actually coming from legit homes and businesses.

Read more…
Source:  The Register


Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • Ex-NSO Employee Caught Selling Stolen Phone Hacking Tool For $50 Million

    July 5, 2018

    A former employee of one of the world’s most powerful hacking companies NSO Group has been arrested and charged with stealing phone hacking tools from the company and trying to sell it for $50 million on the Darknet secretly. Israeli hacking firm NSO Group is mostly known for selling high-tech malware capable of remotely cracking into ...

  • GCHQ chief highlights UK’s ‘critical role’ in thwarting European attacks

    June 19, 2018

    Speaking after meetings at NATO’s Brussels headquarters, Jeremy Fleming cited GCHQ’s involvement in disrupting terrorist activity on the continent in a bid to highlight the importance of UK-EU security links. The comments will be viewed in some quarters as a pointed intervention in the Brexit debate, coming hot on the heels of remarks by the EU’s chief ...

  • Cops Are Confident iPhone Hackers Have Found a Workaround to Apple’s New Security Feature

    June 14, 2018

    Apple confirmed to The New York Times Wednesday it was going to introduce a new security feature, first reported by Motherboard. USB Restricted Mode, as the new feature is called, essentially turns the iPhone’s lightning cable port into a charge-only interface if someone hasn’t unlocked the device with its passcode within the last hour, meaning phone forensic tools shouldn’t be able ...

  • Telco intercepts should be expanded to OTT providers: AGD

    May 14, 2018

    The Attorney-General’s Department (AGD) has argued in favour of extending Australia’s telecommunications interception laws from telcos to over-the-top providers. Speaking before the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement on Friday, AGD Assistant Secretary Andrew Warnes said this expansion would help combat the “challenge of encryption”. Read more… Source:  

  • FBI: Cyber-Fraud Losses Rise to Reach $1.4B

    May 8, 2018

    About 301,580 consumers reported cyber-fraud and malware attacks to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) last year – with reported losses exceeding a whopping $1.4 billion. The year’s haul of reports brings the overall total of complaints since the IC3 began recording such things to 4 million. Read more… Source: ThreatPost  

  • ThaiCERT Seizes Hidden Cobra Server Linked to GhostSecret, Sony Attacks

    April 27, 2018

    Thailand’s Computer Emergency Response Team (ThaiCERT) has seized a server operated by the North Korea-linked Hidden Cobra APT, which is used to control the global GhostSecret espionage campaign. The campaign is still ongoing. ThaiCERT said in an alert on Wednesday that it is working with McAfee and law enforcement to analyze the control server, which was located at ...