• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

Microsoft uncovers macOS flaw allowing bypass TCC protections and exposing sensitive data

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Cisco ISE and PaperCut NG/MF flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Critical WordPress Post SMTP plugin flaw exposes 200K+ sites to full takeover

 | 

Scattered Spider targets VMware ESXi in using social engineering

 | 

China-linked group Fire Ant exploits VMware and F5 flaws since early 2025

 | 

Allianz Life data breach exposed the data of most of its 1.4M customers

 | 

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 55

 | 

Security Affairs newsletter Round 534 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

 | 

Law enforcement operations seized BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet sites

 | 

Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea in U.S. IT job fraud scheme

 | 

Operation CargoTalon targets Russia’s aerospace with EAGLET malware,

 | 

Unpatched flaw in EoL LG LNV5110R cameras lets hackers gain Admin access

 | 

Koske, a new AI-Generated Linux malware appears in the threat landscape

 | 

Mitel patches critical MiVoice MX-ONE Auth bypass flaw

 | 

Coyote malware is first-ever malware abusing Windows UI Automation

 | 

SonicWall fixed critical flaw in SMA 100 devices exploited in Overstep malware attacks

 | 

DSPM & AI Are Booming: $17.87B and $4.8T Markets by 2033

 | 

Stealth backdoor found in WordPress mu-Plugins folder

 | 

U.S. CISA adds CrushFTP, Google Chromium, and SysAid flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

U.S. CISA urges FCEB agencies to fix two Microsoft SharePoint flaws immediately and added them to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Cyber Crime
  • Malware
  • Security
  • Cybercriminal services target end-of-life routers, FBI warns

Cybercriminal services target end-of-life routers, FBI warns

Pierluigi Paganini May 09, 2025

The FBI warns that attackers are using end-of-life routers to deploy malware and turn them into proxies sold on 5Socks and Anyproxy networks.

The FBI released a FLASH alert warning about 5Socks and Anyproxy malicious services targeting end-of-life (EOL) routers. Attackers target EoL devices to deploy malware by exploiting vulnerabilities and create botnets for attacks or proxy services. The alert urges replacing compromised routers or preventing infection by disabling remote admin and rebooting.

End-of-life (EOL) routers lack security updates and are vulnerable to cyber attacks. The lack of security updates makes them easy targets for threat actors who exploit known vulnerabilities, often via exposed remote management.

“The threat actors use the device’s known vulnerabilities to upload the malware, which ultimately allows the threat actor to gain root access to the device and make configuration changes.” reads the alert. “Chinese cyber actors are also among those who have taken advantage of known vulnerabilities in end of life routers and other edge devices to establish botnets used to conceal hacking into US critical infrastructures.”

Infected routers form botnets used in coordinated attacks or sold as proxies on 5Socks and Anyproxy.

Once installed, the malware allows threat actors to achieve persistent access, allowing regular communication with the device every 60 seconds to five minutes to maintain control and availability for customers.

Malware spreads through internet-connected devices with remote access enabled, and attackers can gain shell access even with password protection.

The malware uses a two-way handshake with a C2 server for regular check-ins and opens ports on the router to enable its use as a proxy server.

Vulnerable models include:

  • E1200
  • E2500
  • E1000
  • E4200
  • E1500
  • E300
  • E3200
  • WRT320N
  • E1550
  • WRT610N
  • E100
  • M10
  • WRT310N

The FBI published indicators of compromise (IoCs) associated with attacks targeting end-of-life routers and mitigations:

“The FBI recommends users identify if any of the devices vulnerable to compromise are part of their networking infrastructure. If so, these devices should be replaced with newer models that remain in their vendor support plans to prevent further infection.” concludes the alert .”Alternatively, a user can prevent infection by disabling remote administration and rebooting the device. Please refer to the specific instructions for your router for information on how to disable remote management.”

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, end-of-life routers)


facebook linkedin twitter

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 29, 2025
Microsoft uncovers macOS flaw allowing bypass TCC protections and exposing sensitive data
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 28, 2025
U.S. CISA adds Cisco ISE and PaperCut NG/MF flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    Microsoft uncovers macOS flaw allowing bypass TCC protections and exposing sensitive data

    Hacking / July 29, 2025

    U.S. CISA adds Cisco ISE and PaperCut NG/MF flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

    Security / July 28, 2025

    Critical WordPress Post SMTP plugin flaw exposes 200K+ sites to full takeover

    Security / July 28, 2025

    Scattered Spider targets VMware ESXi in using social engineering

    Cyber Crime / July 28, 2025

    China-linked group Fire Ant exploits VMware and F5 flaws since early 2025

    Hacking / July 28, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT