Dysphoria Botnet Compromises Nearly 300,000 Devices for DDoS Attacks and Residential Proxy Services
The Dysphoria botnet has already compromised nearly 296,000 devices, including routers, IP cameras, gateways, and embedded Linux systems. The infrastructure is used primarily for DDoS attacks and has recently added residential proxy functionality.
Researchers began tracking the threat in the first quarter of 2026. It evolved rapidly from the jackskid and fbot malware families. On peak days, up to 239,000 infected devices were observed active outside China.
Propagation relies mainly on brute-force attacks against Telnet and SSH services protected by weak passwords. The botnet also exploits known remote code execution vulnerabilities in IoT devices.
One of the most notable developments is the use of domains based on the Ethereum and Solana networks to locate command-and-control servers. This approach complicates infrastructure takedowns and allows operators to rotate addresses quickly.
Compromised devices can act as intermediate nodes. The malware uses UPnP to open ports on home routers, turning residential connections into relays that conceal the origin of malicious traffic.
Operators publicly advertise attack capacity of up to 4 Tbps and offer multiple DDoS service packages, indicating a structured commercial operation. Observed targets include internet service providers and gaming platforms across various countries.
Related articles
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.
Reflective DLL Injection: How Malware Executes DLLs Directly in Memory Without Disk Files
Reflective DLL Injection allows malicious code to load and execute a DLL entirely in memory, bypassing traditional file-based loading mechanisms on Windows. The technique uses a custom loader inside the DLL itself to handle PE format parsing, relocations, imports, TLS, and exception handling without calling LoadLibrary. Unlike standard loading, the resulting module often resides in MEM_PRIVATE regions and does not appear in conventional module lists, complicating forensic analysis. Tools such as Meterpreter and Cobalt Strike have historically employed reflective loaders, though Beacon Object Files represent a different COFF-based approach. Investigators must examine memory regions, thread start addresses, and Sysmon events 7, 8, and 10 rather than relying solely on file artifacts. The method does not bypass DEP, Arbitrary Code Guard, or access-control restrictions and leaves detectable traces when combined with behavioral indicators. Proper detection requires correlating private executable memory with process behavior and avoiding over-reliance on simplified signatures.
Leaked DarkSword iOS Exploit Chain 'P7' Now Steals Crypto Wallet Seeds and Keystores
A third build of the P7 variant of the leaked DarkSword iOS exploit chain has been identified, featuring a new lure site themed around Chinese online casinos and a fresh command server. The chain exploits six vulnerabilities, including three zero-days, to deploy an implant that decrypts the keychain directly on the device and extracts seed phrases from wallets such as imToken, Trust Wallet, and Phantom. Unlike the original GHOSTBLADE, P7 rewrites the C2 agent to focus exclusively on wallet data while retaining the core TaskRop and MIG-filter bypass modules. Passive analysis of public sources also uncovered the long-running 'qqtime' delivery cluster that pairs DarkSword with the older Coruna chain for broader iOS coverage. The operator uses channel codes to support multiple affiliate distributors and employs an AppleKeyStore oracle to decrypt keychain items locally before exfiltration.
Censys Exposes DarkSword iOS Exploit Platform and Coruna Crypto Wallet Stealer
Censys has disclosed the inner workings of DarkSword, a commercial platform that sells remote access to iOS devices, along with its associated malware Coruna that targets cryptocurrency wallet recovery keys. The infrastructure was exposed between September 15 and 17, allowing researchers to analyze the full attack chain starting from a WebKit and JavaScriptCore exploit delivered through the browser. After escaping the Safari sandbox and reaching the kernel, the platform deploys three layers including a flag, controller, and main implant. Coruna then scans the device for BIP39-compliant seed phrases stored in photos and Apple Notes across 19 targeted wallet applications such as MetaMask, Phantom, Trust Wallet, Coinbase, Exodus, imToken, Bitpie, and BitKeep. The exposed server contained 11 victim recovery keys, 179 directories of extracted data, and 75 operator accounts, indicating a structured commercial operation with agent accounts, commissions, and device quotas. Confirmed infections affect devices running iOS 16.1 and 16.3.1, while Apple has extended patches to additional iOS 18 devices. Maintaining updated iOS versions remains the primary defense against this threat.