Routers compromised by recent Russian military attack


Senecio

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UK Government and Microsoft have identified a recent attack which compromises DNS settings on vulnerable routers. The router singled out is a TP-link model. A lot more details here: Russian hacking group targets home and small office routers to spy on users
It appears that home users who don't "work from home" (i.e. log into work systems), are unlikely to be targeted. The intention is to target businesses. Nevertheless, probably worth checking DNS security on your device, especially if you have the TP-link model mentioned.
One place you can test your router is here: Test Your Router - RouterSecurity.org

John
 

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It is going to get much worse. Routers have been targeted now more than ever. I don't agree with the banning of router sales in the usa, but I would hope to see stricter security and robust firmware updating across the brands that make routers. They also need to be independently verified and pen tested.

To my knowledge, the only brand of router that has yet to have an actively ongoing full public exploited breach in the wild is peplink.
 

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I have an Asus router, and that model was definitely targeted last year. Thousands of Asus routers are being hit with stealthy, persistent backdoors
The usual caveats of changing admin password when setting up the router, and keeping its firmware updated is usually the best strategy for a home user. One of the websites I reviewed when researching this post recommended buying a new router with Wifi 7. That sounds like a good excuse for some of us to buy some shiny new hardware!
 

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I have an Asus router, and that model was definitely targeted last year. Thousands of Asus routers are being hit with stealthy, persistent backdoors
The usual caveats of changing admin password when setting up the router, and keeping its firmware updated is usually the best strategy for a home user. One of the websites I reviewed when researching this post recommended buying a new router with Wifi 7. That sounds like a good excuse for some of us to buy some shiny new hardware!
If you live in the USA it is a terrible time to buy a router, as almost all models purchased will end update support by March 1, 2027.

I have an asus router as well. They have plenty of vulnerabilities but asus does seem to patch them quickly. The main advantage of asus routers though is the custom merlin firmware which is much more secure.
 

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I consider the router as the enemy, I try to be as disconnected from it as possible.
Luckily DNS in the router does not matter much, Browser > Windows > router.
 

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