Overview
- The FBI, alongside Dutch and Thai law enforcement, seized the domains Anyproxy.net and 5socks.net, disabling a botnet of malware-infected routers across over 80 countries.
- Four individuals—three Russians and one Kazakhstani—were indicted on conspiracy and computer crime charges for operating the botnet and profiting from illicit proxy services.
- The botnet exploited vulnerabilities in older-model wireless routers, turning them into proxies marketed to cybercriminals for activities like password spraying and ad fraud.
- The services, active since 2004, generated over $46 million in revenue by selling access to more than 7,000 proxies through subscription plans ranging from $9.95 to $110 per month.
- Black Lotus Labs and other cybersecurity experts supported the investigation, which highlighted the use of residential proxies to obscure malicious online activities.