The FBI has disrupted a botnet operated by Chinese state-sponsored hackers that infected more than 200,000 consumer devices across the United States. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the botnet malware affected a variety of devices, including small-office/home-office (SOHO) routers, internet protocol (IP) cameras, digital video recorders (DVRs), and network-attached storage (NAS) devices.
The botnet was taken down through a court-authorized law enforcement operation. The hackers responsible for this botnet were identified as part of the Integrity Technology Group, based in Beijing, and referred to as "Flax Typhoon" in the private sector.
U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan for the Western District of Pennsylvania explained that the operation successfully disrupted a botnet that was being used to gather sensitive information and conduct cyberattacks on a wide scale, targeting both U.S. and international victims.