Three Russians, one Kazakhstani charged in takedown of Anyproxy and 5socks botnets

Three Russians, one Kazakhstani charged in takedown of Anyproxy and 5socks botnets
Law enforcement has dismantled two major botnets operated through websites Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net, charging several individuals with conspiracy and cybercrime. The operation involved infecting end-of-life routers globally and earning approximately $46 million over 20 years, highlighting ongoing threats to U.S. critical infrastructure. (Affected: U.S. internet infrastructure and users)

Keypoints :

  • Two botnets run through the websites Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net were dismantled by U.S. law enforcement.
  • Several individuals, including Russian and Kazakhstani nationals, face charges related to the operation.
  • The botnets infected older-model routers worldwide, which were reconfigured into proxy servers for sale.
  • Over 7,000 proxies were sold at rates up to $110/month, generating about $46 million over two decades.
  • The operation targeted end-of-life routers, including models from Linksys and Cisco, often exploited through known vulnerabilities.
  • Authorities, working with international partners, tracked the activity and analyzed botnet command-and-control infrastructure located in Turkey.
  • U.S. officials warn users to replace outdated routers and disable remote access to prevent ongoing exploitation.

Read More: https://therecord.media/5socks-anyproxy-botnets-takedown-russians-kazakhstani-charged

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