Cisco is in charge of discovering a new attack they have named VPNFilter. This attack focuses on attacking network devices such as routers and NAS. It has already been detected in 54 countries worldwide and some 500,000 routers and NAS devices have already been affected. But the reality is that the figure could be higher.
Cisco defines it as the biggest attack of its kind yet. The dangerous thing is that the affected devices are used as botnets to carry out massive DDoS attacks. In addition, they have a kill switch that can render them inoperative or block Internet access.
Routers from brands such as NETGEAR, QNAP or Linksys are among those affected. The country with the highest number of infections so far is Ukraine, where VPNFilter has hit hard in the first few weeks of May. It is very similar to BlackEnergy, which was attributed to Russia. So many people think that this new attack is also coming from the country.
It is believed that this new Russian attack could be aimed at interfering with Ukraine’s network, seeking to saturate the country’s service network. It would not be the first time the country has launched such attacks. Cisco says this would allow Russia to do whatever it wants if they manage to attack their networks. Ukraine believes they want to launch a large-scale attack to coincide with the Champions League final.
Cisco defines it as the biggest attack of its kind yet. The dangerous thing is that the affected devices are used as botnets to carry out massive DDoS attacks. In addition, they have a kill switch that can render them inoperative or block Internet access.
Routers from brands such as NETGEAR, QNAP or Linksys are among those affected. The country with the highest number of infections so far is Ukraine, where VPNFilter has hit hard in the first few weeks of May. It is very similar to BlackEnergy, which was attributed to Russia. So many people think that this new attack is also coming from the country.
It is believed that this new Russian attack could be aimed at interfering with Ukraine’s network, seeking to saturate the country’s service network. It would not be the first time the country has launched such attacks. Cisco says this would allow Russia to do whatever it wants if they manage to attack their networks. Ukraine believes they want to launch a large-scale attack to coincide with the Champions League final.
Torrent websites victims of various DDoS attacks
Router manufacturers now have a patch available to protect them from VPNFilter. So it’s only a matter of time before it reaches the devices. For the time being, the source of the attack is still under investigation. We’ll know more soon enough.