Cyberattack Bricks 600,000 Routers Across Midwest ISP

New research reveals a deliberate malware attack last October disabled routers, affecting rural and underserved communities.

The attack, named 'Pumpkin Eclipse,' rendered specific router models inoperable over a 72-hour period.
Affected routers included ActionTec T3200, T3260, and Sagemcom F5380, requiring hardware replacements.
Windstream, the ISP identified as the target, has not provided detailed comments on the incident.
Researchers suggest the attack used weak credentials or exposed administrative interfaces.
The malware, Chalubo, was used to overwrite firmware, permanently disabling the routers.