Gayfemboy 0-Day Router Attacks Ongoing—What You Need To Know - Forbes

The latest news on the Gayfemboy botnet and zero-day router vulnerabilities in 2025 highlights significant DDoS threats and emphasizes the importance of mitigation strategies. Here are the key points:

Gayfemboy Botnet DDoS Threats

1. Botnet Overview:

   • The Gayfemboy botnet is a rapidly evolving threat that leverages a 0-day vulnerability in Four-Faith industrial routers, initially identified by XLab in February 20243.
   • It has grown into a large-scale network with over 15,000 daily active nodes and sophisticated capabilities for Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks3.

2. Exploitation Capabilities:

   • The botnet exploits a previously unknown vulnerability in Four-Faith industrial routers (now tracked as CVE-2024-12856), which allows attackers to deliver malicious payloads13.
   • It also targets devices from manufacturers like Neterbit and Vimar, using undisclosed flaws and weak Telnet credentials13.

3. Attack Capabilities:

   • The botnet is capable of launching DDoS attacks with estimated traffic volumes exceeding 100 Gbps, causing disruptions even for robust infrastructures13.
   • XLab observed the botnet’s Command-and-Control (C2) operations using hardcoded commands like "update self," "start scan," and "attack kill all"3.

4. Geographical Distribution:

   • Infections are concentrated in regions such as China, the United States, Iran, Russia, and Turkey3.

Zero-Day Router Vulnerabilities

1. CVE-2024-12856:

   • This vulnerability in Four-Faith industrial routers was disclosed publicly by VulnCheck on December 27, 2024, but efforts to exploit it began around December 201.
   • The botnet uses this 0-day exploit to spread its malware globally, with infected devices executing samples with a unique parameter, "faith2," as part of the infection process3.

2. Other Vulnerabilities:

   • The botnet also targets other devices with various vulnerabilities:
     • Huawei routers via CVE-2017-172151
     • Neterbit routers with custom exploits1
     • LB-Link routers via CVE-2023-268011
     • PZT cameras via CVE-2024-8956 and CVE-2024-89571
     • Kguard DVR and Lilin DVR with remote code execution exploits1
     • Generic DVRs using exploits like TVT editBlackAndWhiteList RCE1
     • Vimar smart home devices with an undisclosed vulnerability1

Mitigation Strategies

1. Update Firmware:

   • Users should ensure their devices are running the latest firmware updates from the vendor to mitigate these vulnerabilities14.

2. Disable Remote Access:

   • Disable remote access if not needed to reduce the attack surface1.

3. Change Default Admin Credentials:

   • Change the default admin account credentials to prevent brute-forcing attacks1.

4. Implement IDS/IPS Systems:

   • Implement intrusion detection or prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor for attack attempts and detect malicious activity4.

5. Limit Network Accessibility:

   • Ensure devices are not exposed to the internet and restrict SSH access to trusted IP addresses to further reduce exposure4.

By following these mitigation strategies, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of being targeted by the Gayfemboy botnet and other zero-day router vulnerabilities.