Expired Domains: How Hackers Turn $20 into Cyber Gold Mines
More than 4,000 unique backdoors are using expired domains, exposing government and academia-owned hosts to potential hijacking. For the price of a domain, attackers can piggyback on these abandoned backdoors to access compromised systems, allowing them to “steal the spoils” without lifting a finger.
Hot Take:
**_In the world of cybersecurity, where expired domains become a playground for the cybercriminals of the future, it seems that even hackers need a little Marie Kondo in their lives to clean up their digital clutter. Who knew that neglecting your web shells could lead to government secrets being up for grabs faster than you can say “cyber-chaos”?_**
Key Points:
– Over 4,000 unique backdoors discovered using expired domains and abandoned infrastructure.
– These backdoors expose government and academia-owned hosts to potential hijacking.
– Attackers can commandeer these backdoors with minimal effort, essentially “mass-hacking-on-autopilot.”
– Researchers found compromised hosts from Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, and other countries.
– The ShadowServer Foundation has agreed to sinkhole the domains to prevent further exploitation.