FBI Stops World's Largest Botnet

Summary

The video discusses the arrest of Yun He Wang, the alleged administrator of the 911 S5 botnet, which disguised malware as free VPNs, infecting millions of devices and leading to significant cybercrimes. It explores discussions on the dark web using Flare, a platform for threat intelligence, showing the botnet's evolution, its rebranding as Cloud Router, and the impact on victims. The video emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity and offers insights into tracking and mitigating such threats.

Takeaways

• 👮‍♂️ Yun He Wang, also known as 'Traffic Carb', has been arrested for allegedly administering the notorious 911 S5 botnet.
• 🔒 The 911 S5 botnet disguised malware as free VPNs, infecting Windows devices and expanding to control over 19 million IP addresses.
• 💡 The botnet facilitated international crimes including pandemic and unemployment fraud, and access to child exploitation materials.
• 📰 More information on the arrest and the botnet can be found in a press release on justice.gov.
• 🌐 Discussions on the arrest are taking place across the dark web, with hackers inquiring about the botnet's infrastructure.
• 🔍 Flare, a cybersecurity platform, is used to explore and translate discussions from Russian hacking forums.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Flare has indexed the dark web, making it searchable and providing insights into cybercriminal activities.
• 🔗 The botnet used a proxy backdoor to reroute criminal activity through victim devices, masking the origin of nefarious actions.
• 📈 The 911 S5 botnet was active from 2014, was taken offline in 2022, and was revived as 'Cloud Router' in 2023 before being seized by law enforcement.
• 💼 The botnet administrator openly sold services on dark web forums, demonstrating the commercial nature of cybercrime.
• 🛡️ Flare can track user accounts across forums, revealing the extent of a cybercriminal's online presence and operations.
• 🚨 The script emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity awareness and the use of tools like Flare to protect against threats and monitor exposure.

Q & A

Who was arrested in connection with the 911 S5 botnet?

Yun He Wang, also known by the alias 'traffic carb', was arrested for alleged involvement as the administrator of the notorious 911 S5 botnet.

What was the primary function of the software published by 'traffic carb'?

The software published by 'traffic carb' was malware disguised as free virtual private networks (VPNs), which infected Windows devices and added their IP addresses to the botnet.

How many IP addresses were affected by the 911 S5 botnet?

The 911 S5 botnet affected over 19 million IP addresses, leading to significant issues including pandemic and unemployment fraud and access to child exploitation materials.

What is the significance of the platform 'flare' mentioned in the script?

Flare is a platform used to reduce risk from threats such as leaked credentials, malware logs, and to manage exposed attack surfaces. It is also used to search discussions across the dark web.

What is the role of the dark web in the context of the 911 S5 botnet?

The dark web was used by the botnet's administrator and associates for discussions and advertising their services, as well as selling access to victim machines as proxies.

What was the business model of the 911 S5 botnet?

The botnet's business model involved offering free or low-cost VPN services that secretly installed malware, creating a network of infected devices that could be used for various criminal activities.

What was the role of the 'proxy back door' in the 911 S5 botnet?

The proxy back door enabled the botnet users to reroute their devices through victim devices, making nefarious activity appear as if it was coming from the victim's devices themselves.

When was the 911 S5 botnet initially started and when was it taken offline?

The 911 S5 botnet was started in May 2014 and was taken offline by the administrator in July 2022, but it was later revived and rebranded as Cloud Router in October 2023.

What is the significance of the seizure banner on the Cloud Router website?

The seizure banner on the Cloud Router website indicates that the site has been seized by law enforcement, and it includes an animated GIF that loops through a law enforcement notice in different languages.

How can individuals and organizations protect themselves from similar botnets?

Individuals and organizations can protect themselves by avoiding the use of unverified VPNs, keeping their systems updated, using security software, and monitoring their digital infrastructure for signs of compromise.

What is the role of the FBI in the takedown of the 911 S5 botnet?

The FBI was involved in the arrest of the botnet administrator and the seizure of the Cloud Router website, which was a rebranded version of the 911 S5 botnet.

Outlines

00:00

🔒 Arrest of 911 S5 Botnet Administrator

The video script discusses the arrest of Yun He Wang, suspected of being the administrator of the 911 S5 botnet, a notorious malware operation disguised as free VPNs. These VPNs infected Windows devices, leading to a botnet controlling over 19 million IP addresses. The botnet facilitated international crimes, including pandemic and unemployment fraud, and access to child exploitation materials. The script mentions the use of Flare, a cybersecurity platform, to explore discussions on the dark web following the arrest. It highlights the botnet's operations, the malware's disguise as VPNs, and the extensive discussions among cybercriminals on Russian hacking forums about the arrest and the botnet's inner workings.

05:01

🕵️‍♂️ Dark Web Discussions and Impact of 911 S5 Botnet

This paragraph delves into the dark web's reaction to the arrest and the 911 S5 botnet's operations. It describes how the botnet administrator, known as Traffic Carb, advertised infected devices as proxy nodes, offering them for sale on various forums. The script mentions the use of Flare to track and analyze these activities, including the advertisement of victim machines as proxies and the sale of access to these machines. The paragraph also touches on the botnet's revival and rebranding as Cloud Router, which was later seized by law enforcement. It concludes with a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity and the availability of Flare for tracking and managing information exposure.

Keywords

💡Botnet

A botnet is a network of private computers infected with malicious software and controlled as a group without the owners' knowledge. In the video, the 911 S5 botnet is mentioned as notorious, with its administrator arrested for spreading malware disguised as VPNs, leading to a massive botnet that compromised over 19 million IP addresses.

💡Malware

Malware refers to any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer system. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the disguised VPN software that infected Windows devices, turning them into part of the 911 S5 botnet.

💡VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A VPN is a service that creates a secure and encrypted connection over the internet, allowing users to protect their online privacy and access region-restricted websites. The video discusses how the 911 S5 botnet operators used free VPNs as a lure to distribute malware.

💡Cyber Criminal

Cyber criminals are individuals who use the internet to commit crimes such as fraud, identity theft, and the spread of malware. The video script discusses the arrest of an alleged cyber criminal, Yun He Wang, who is suspected of administering the 911 S5 botnet.

💡Dark Web

The dark web is a part of the internet not indexed by traditional search engines and typically requires special software to access. It is often associated with illicit activities. The video mentions the dark web as a place where discussions about the 911 S5 botnet arrest are taking place.

💡Flare

In the video, Flare is referred to as a platform that helps organizations reduce risk from threats by managing exposed attack surfaces. It is used to search and monitor discussions across the dark web and other illicit websites, including forums where cyber criminals chat.

💡Command and Control (C2)

C2 servers are used by cyber criminals to control botnets. The script mentions that the 911 S5 botnet had proxy nodes interacting with several C2 servers located abroad or hosted on cloud servers.

💡Proxy Back Door

A proxy back door is a method used by cyber criminals to reroute their activities through victim devices, making it appear as if the nefarious actions originate from the victims. The video explains how the 911 S5 botnet used a proxy back door for various crimes.

💡Financial Fraud

Financial fraud involves the use of deception for personal gain or to damage another individual or business financially. The video discusses how the 911 S5 botnet was used to facilitate financial fraud, among other crimes.

💡Cloud Router

Cloud Router is mentioned in the script as a rebranding of the 911 S5 botnet after it was taken offline in 2022. It was later seized by law enforcement, and the video discusses how it was advertised and sold as part of the botnet's operations.

💡Cyber Security

Cyber security refers to the practice of protecting internet-connected systems, including hardware, software, and data, from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. The video emphasizes the importance of being on the 'good side' of cyber security and using tools like Flare to protect against threats.

Highlights

Yun He Wang, also known as 'Traffic Carb', has been arrested for allegedly being the administrator of the notorious 911 S5 botnet.

The 911 S5 botnet operated by disguising malware as free VPNs, infecting over 19 million IP addresses.

The botnet's activities led to significant losses due to pandemic and unemployment fraud, as well as access to child exploitation materials.

Flare, the sponsor of the video, is highlighted as a platform for reducing risk from various cyber threats.

Discussions on Russian hacking forums reveal interest in the mixer and hosting provider used by the botnet.

Flare's archive of the dark web and other illicit websites allows for searchable historical data on cybercrime.

At the time of arrest, the botnet controlled approximately 120,000 residential proxy nodes globally.

The botnet's command and control servers were located abroad or hosted on cloud servers.

Malicious VPNs like Mask VPN, DoVPN, and ProxyGate were part of the botnet, some offered for free, others for a price.

The 911 S5 botnet was initially taken offline in July 2022 but was revived and rebranded as Cloud Router in October 2023.

Law enforcement seized the Cloud Router domain, displaying an animated seizure banner in multiple languages.

The proxy back door of the botnet allowed criminals to reroute their activities through victim devices.

Victims' infected devices were advertised for sale as nodes on the dark web.

Dark web forums like No Hide Anti-Chat and Wicked Fire were used by the botnet administrator for advertising.

Flare can track user accounts and their posts across different forums, providing insight into botnet operations.

Victims on platforms like Dread discuss the use of Cloud Router VPNs, unaware of their malicious nature.

Flare's search capabilities can identify artifacts from affected users, providing valuable data on botnet infections.

The video concludes with a call to avoid cybercrime and the importance of cybersecurity vigilance, especially with VPNs.

Transcripts

Yun he Wang allegedly the individual

behind the handle and Alias traffic carb

or traffic cash has been arrested in

alleged suspicion of being the

administrator of the notorious 911 S5

botn net the inner workings of the botn

net were that software published by

traffic carb was in fact malware

disguised as free virtual private

networks or VPN these malware scams were

made free for the public and they

infected each Windows device that would

install and use them ultimately that led

to over 19 million IP addresses being

part of the botnet all International

which meant billions of dollars in

pandemic and unemployment fraud and

access to child exploitation materials

by cyber criminals in that Syndicate you

can read more about it on the

justice.gov press release but I would

like to explore and see what other

chatter is out there out and about

following this arrest and the 911 S5

botnet as a whole I'm taking a look at

discussions across the dark web and to

do that I'm using flare now full

disclosure flare is the sponsor of this

video but I'm sure as you know I'm a

huge fan of their platform it's

seriously one of the best ways that you

and your organization can reduce risk

from threats ranging from leaked

credentials to information stealing

malware logs and manage your exposed

attack surface anyway let's see what

cyber criminals are chatting about

surrounding the 911 S5 botet this one

includes a link so we can go take a look

at the source this is a post on

xs. one of the known Russian hacking

forums so this isn't a language that I

can't read but I'll have it funneled

through Google translate the translation

might get mixed up and it might not be

the best English but you can kind of get

an idea and right away folks are asking

about what kind of mixer they use and oh

they hosting provider that's like riding

their coattails wanting to use whatever

they did there are about three pages

worth of discussion here and it's the

usual thread actor Antics right whatever

flaming Shenanigans they do and I won't

drag you down the rabbit hole here but I

would like to be scrolling through a bit

just so you get to see it bear in mind

this is just chatter on xss dois there's

certainly more in other forums or

telegram channels telegram is after all

like social media for cyber crime it's

the threat actor hangout spot in HQ and

just so you know how we're tracking all

this down flare has built their own

archived copy of the dark web and other

more questionable elicit websites

they've ingested over 6,000 telegram

channels and leaky S3 buckets and GitHub

repositories and all this wild stuff out

there on the internet and they've made

it searchable like Global Universal

search so you can look through the

entire historical archive that's updated

every single day looking through the

results we can see lots of disc

discussions around the arrest of the

alleged botnet administrator and

remember 911 S5 lured victims by

offering a free VPN that VPN installed

malware that added the victim's IP

address to the botn net at the time of

the arrest the botnet controlled about

120,000 residential proxy nodes all

around the world and each of them

interacted with several C2 or command

and control servers located abroad or

hosted on a Cloud Server

some of the known malicious vpns were

called mask VPN or do VPN shine VPN and

proxygate most were offered for free but

some cost some coin you can take a look

at the prices here man look at that

table that's a business and sales tactic

right there itemize hey compare and

contrast side by side what features are

doing what that is advertising and hey

cyber crime is an Enterprise and an

industry maybe you're doing just the

same thing to land a deal anyway the 911

S5 botnet was started way back in May

2014 but was actually taken offline by

the administrator in July of 2022 but it

was later revived and rebranded as Cloud

router in October of 2023 you could

actually find them online at Cloud

router. but that has been seized by law

enforcement and taken down this seizure

Banner is actually an animated gif that

Loops through the law enforcement notice

in in the different appropriate

languages and the link that they

reference on the page brings you to the

FBI notice on this takedown that

includes the names of some more

illegitimate and malicious VPN

applications and look at this the proxy

back door enabled the 911 S5 botnet

users to reroute their devices through

victim devices allowing criminals to

carry out crimes such as bomb threats

financial fraud identity theft child

exploitation and initial ACC brokering

by using a proxy back door criminals

made nefarious activity appear as though

it was coming from the victim's devices

themselves that's wild the page includes

some other tactical and technical

details about finding this malare and if

you're concerned I'd totally recommend

taking a look through it but the victims

that had their infected devices sold as

nodes were actually advertised in a

really surprising way cyber crime is a

business

after all but traffic carb again the

handle for the bot net administrator

here would just blatantly and almost

desperately sell his Services there are

some other dark web forums that I

haven't showcased in a video before like

no hide anti-chat and wicked fire and we

can use flare to see some of the

previous posts from threat carb and his

associates all on behalf of now Cloud

router here's a post on no hide selling

access to the victim machines in the

botnet to be used as a proxy look at all

the different SKS you can even get like

a test package for

$2 this exact same post was on the

anti-chat Forum but has since been

removed I don't know for sure but I'd

have to take a guess that account may

have been removed following the arrest

and all the threads went down with it on

that note we even see the cloud router

user post on Wicked fire but he realized

his own advertising might not have

followed the forum's community rules so

he says oh I wasn't supposed to post

this thread not sure how to delete it

that page won't even load I guess I

don't know I suppose Wicked fire is

changing up their website right now but

now we can follow through with whatever

this user account posted across whatever

Forum by tracking their username with

Flare they all come from cloud router or

cloud router. and it's hard to say that

that's some opsc failure because sure

it's all the same username and that

makes it easy for researchers and

analysts to track down but you got to

acknowledge that's their business in

branding all at the same time so what

about the victims there is some chatter

on dread the dark web equivalent of

Reddit where folks discuss that they use

some of the cloud router provided vpns

this is as recent as March of this year

and they say it shares the same user

interface as 911 granted it's the same

thing and it doesn't come at a terrible

price m that is just one individual

though out of what 19 million IP

addresses so it's hard to Gro the entire

impact here but we can get some

interesting tidbits with Flare noting

their infected devices or their Steeler

log section we can track down artifacts

from affected users that have session

data for cloud router. here are a couple

showcases for results in the past month

but that sort of detail is kind of wild

all in all I'm glad to see another cyber

criminal arrested huge props to law

enforcement for another takedown and

arrest and I said it before and I'll say

it over and over and over again don't do

this stuff don't be a cyber criminal be

on the good side of cyber security and

if you're keeping tabs on stuff like

this then make sure those vpns aren't

anywhere in your environment and you can

track a lot of this down with Flare just

as I've showcased for research but even

to know your own information exposure

like in case your employees or you your

co-workers anything in an organization

have some artifacts out and about in

Steeler logs or even like digital

infrastructure access for sale on the

dark Li flare has also like dramatically

simplified their free trial process so

you can sign up even without a sales

call with just the link in the video

description thanks so much for watching

please do all those YouTube algorithm

things like comment subscribe and with

that I'll see you in the next video