Researchers Deploy Cowrie Honeypot Disguised as NVIDIA H100 Server to Study SSH Botnet Tactics
Security researchers created a high-fidelity Cowrie honeypot that masqueraded as a powerful machine-learning server containing four NVIDIA H100 GPUs, 128 AMD EPYC 7763 cores, one terabyte of RAM, and 31.5 TB of storage. The goal was to let real-world SSH bots connect and reveal their post-compromise behavior instead of simply logging failed login attempts.
After rejecting an LLM-based fake SSH daemon, the team chose the mature Cowrie Python honeypot because it reliably records every command, file download, and session. They kept the real sshd listening only for their own addresses and used nftables to redirect all other traffic on port 22 into the honeypot. A custom StickyAuth authorization class forced bots to perform between two and five failed attempts before granting access, then permanently bound the successful credential pair to that source IP.
The filesystem was built from a real Debian 12 installation via mmdebstrap and populated with believable artifacts: running training processes, checkpoint files in /data/models, and fake cloud credentials in /opt/ml/.env. The researchers also fixed three realism gaps that would have exposed the trap to automated scripts: added support for the -i flag in grep, corrected binary paths after /bin became a symlink to /usr/bin, and synchronized the hostname returned by the hostname command with /etc/hostname.
Within the first twelve-and-a-half hours the honeypot attracted 1,846 connections from 126 distinct addresses. One hundred seventy-five logins succeeded from 70 IPs, and 102 of those sessions contained commands. A single Go-language scanner accounted for 1,198 connections, while a 59-address botnet associated with the Outlaw group performed the most elaborate activity. After logging in, these bots deleted .ssh directories, installed their own key containing the signature mdrfckr, changed the root password, terminated competing miners, inspected hardware, and scheduled a cron job that fetched the dota3 archive containing an IRC-controlled backdoor and its own SSH brute-forcer.
Six additional addresses behaved more like reconnaissance tools; one repeatedly queried GPU status and returned 38 times, apparently interested in the simulated H100 cards. No actual miner was deployed on the honeypot during the observation window.
The team also deployed a separate service that fed each Cowrie session to a free large-language model and forwarded concise explanations plus full terminal recordings to Telegram, allowing analysts to review attacker intent without manually replaying every log.
Related articles
Hirudo Android Banking Trojan Uninstalls Legitimate Bank Apps and Installs Attacker-Controlled Fakes
Researchers at ThreatFabric have detailed Hirudo, a sophisticated Android banking trojan that also serves as a remote access tool and replaces genuine bank applications with attacker-controlled copies. The malware spreads through decoy apps themed around shopping, adult video, and short series, including Shopora, 1V1 X, ZoyaTV, and KoiShort. Once installed, it uses accessibility services to detect target banking apps, verify their signatures, display a fake update prompt, and force uninstallation of the real application before installing a malicious replica signed with a publicly known test key. The trojan employs components from the open-source YAHFA and Dobby projects to intercept signature checks, hide accessibility services, bypass screenshot restrictions, and forward Play Integrity attestations to the attacker’s server. Eight ready-made replicas target seven Indonesian banks, while credential theft focuses on users in China, India, Mexico, Morocco, and Thailand. Server logs collected in August 2026 contained thousands of credentials, device data, and financial profiles, with the attestation key set confirmed as publicly leaked and partially revoked by Google.
Over 300 Tor Exit Nodes Hijacked to Intercept SSH Passwords and Deploy Ebury Backdoor
Attackers compromised hundreds of Tor exit nodes and repurposed them to perform man-in-the-middle attacks against SSH connections. Instead of reaching the intended server, users were redirected to attacker-controlled infrastructure where they could be tricked into accepting a forged host key and revealing their credentials. Researcher kaba identified 333 malicious exit nodes routing traffic through the same 12 interception servers after noticing an unexpected host-key warning on October 2. The campaign also attempted to install the Ebury Linux backdoor designed to steal authentication data. The Tor Project confirmed that operators' servers had their configurations altered and some middle relays were converted into exit nodes. The initial access vector remains unknown, but the activity window was limited to October 1-5. Users who connected via Tor during this period, accepted an unfamiliar key, and entered a password should treat their credentials as compromised.
LunaSpy Android Spyware Masquerades as FSB Antivirus and Bundles Right Dialer
Positive Technologies researchers discovered a malicious APK named Антивирус ФСБ.apk that installs the legitimate Right Dialer application from developer Goodwy while embedding the LunaSpy spyware. The sample uses package name com.syscore.toolsuite and requests extensive permissions including Accessibility Service to enable broad device control. Dynamic analysis in PT Sandbox revealed command-and-control communication, privilege escalation, and creation of hidden files. Static analysis showed XOR-encrypted strings and an expanded command set that includes call recording via CallService, call redirection rules in JSON format, screen tree extraction, gesture simulation, and anti-analysis commands such as RESET_REBOOT and DISABLE_PLAY_PROTECT. The malware can exfiltrate call recordings in WAV format, perform taps and swipes, and revive camera and microphone permissions through overlay notifications. Researchers published file and network indicators of compromise including multiple IP addresses used by the operators.
MegaFon Reports 34% Rise in Russian Mobile Malware Infections Driven by Android Trojans
MegaFon monitoring data shows a 34% year-over-year increase in Russian users with detected mobile malware during summer 2026, with the sharpest spike of 77% recorded in August. The growth is primarily attributed to Android trojans capable of installing apps without user consent, intercepting notifications, enabling remote access, and stealing personal data. At the same time, blocked suspicious calls dropped significantly, by 31% in June, 41% in July, and 75% in August, which the operator links to state and corporate anti-fraud measures. Scammers are adapting by hijacking messenger accounts through social engineering, malware, and even rental schemes, often combining calls with fake app installations that deploy spyware. Phishing remains active, with 30% of detected malicious resources tied to investments and crypto, 21% to social networks and messengers, and 9% to harmful APK files. Director Sergey Khrenov noted that smartphones are increasingly used as tools by the attackers themselves in these hybrid schemes.