Thousands of TP-Link routers have been infected by a botnet to spread malware


According to a new report from the Cato CTRL team, the Ballista botnet exploits a remote code execution vulnerability that directly impacts the TP-Link Archer AX-21 router.

The botnet can lead to command injection which then makes remote code execution (RCE) possible so that the malware can spread itself across the internet automatically. This high severity security flaw (tracked as CVE-2023-1389) has also been used to spread other malware families as far back as April 2023 when it was used in the Mirai botnet malware attacks. The flaw also linked to the Condi and AndroxGh0st malware attacks.

Read more…
Source: Tom’s Guide


Sign up for our Newsletter


Related:

  • Cisco warns of worrying major security flaw in firewall command center – patch now

    August 18, 2025

    Cisco recently fixed a maximum-severity vulnerability in its Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) product, and urged users to apply either the patch, or the mitigation, as soon as possible. FMC is a centralized platform for configuring, monitoring, and analyzing Cisco Secure Firewalls, where users can manage policies, track threat intelligence, and monitor their deployments across endpoints. ...

  • Fortinet Releases Security Advisory for Authentication Bypass Vulnerability

    August 12, 2025

    An authentication bypass using an alternate path or channel vulnerability in FortiOS, FortiProxy & FortiPAM may allow an unauthenticated attacker to seize control of a managed device via crafted FGFM requests, if the device is managed by a FortiManager, and if the attacker knows that FortiManager’s serial number. Read more… Source: Fortinet Sign up for the Cyber ...

  • Arctic Wolf Observes July 2025 Uptick in Akira Ransomware Activity Targeting SonicWall SSL VPN

    August 1, 2025

    In late July 2025, Arctic Wolf observed an increase in ransomware activity targeting SonicWall firewall devices for initial access. In the intrusions reviewed, multiple pre-ransomware intrusions were observed within a short period of time, each involving VPN access through SonicWall SSL VPNs. While credential access through brute force, dictionary attacks, and credential stuffing have not yet ...

  • Ongoing SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) Exploitation Campaign using the OVERSTEP Backdoor

    July 16, 2025

    Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified an ongoing campaign by a suspected financially-motivated threat actor we track as UNC6148, targeting fully patched end-of-life SonicWall Secure Mobile Access (SMA) 100 series appliances. GTIG assesses with high confidence that UNC6148 is leveraging credentials and one-time password (OTP) seeds stolen during previous intrusions, allowing them to regain access ...

  • CISA warns hackers are actively exploiting critical ‘Citrix Bleed 2’ security flaw

    July 11, 2025

    U.S. cybersecurity agency CISA says hackers are actively exploiting a critical-rated security flaw in a widely used Citrix product, and has given other federal government departments just one day to patch their systems. Security researchers have dubbed the bug “Citrix Bleed 2” for its similarity to a 2023 security flaw in Citrix NetScaler, a networking product ...

  • Hackers hijacked hundreds of devices in an outlandish intel campaign aimed at US and Asian targets

    June 29, 2025

    A recently disclosed cyber espionage operation, dubbed LapDogs, has drawn scrutiny following revelations from SecurityScorecard’s Strike Team. The operation, believed to be conducted by China-aligned threat actors, has quietly infiltrated over 1,000 devices across the United States, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. What makes this campaign distinctive is its use of hijacked SOHO routers ...