In a latest security move, the FBI has remotely reset thousands of routers used by households and small offices. The move follows the recent discovery of a cyber campaign linked to Russian military intelligence. The attackers were reportedly using compromised, outdated networking devices to monitor internet traffic and steal sensitive information.
FBI remotely resets thousands of routers in the United States
As per the statement released by the FBI, Russia’s Main Directorate of the General Staff, which is also known as APT28 or Fancy Bear, was found exploiting vulnerable routers since at least 2024. Users don’t replace the routers often; some use them for as long as a decade. However, manufacturers stop releasing security or software updates to older Wi-Fi routers. This means the device automatically becomes prone to attacks. Digital criminals use the following gap to exploit.
The FBI further said the intelligence used the compromised routers to intercept internet traffic. The group also collected credentials and authentication tokens that could open access to personal accounts. Workers in the military, government, and critical infrastructure sectors were the main target group.
To shield the routers from potential attack, the FBI performed a remote reset of the devices. The US Justice Department said the remote command sent by the authority was designed to gather evidence of Russian activity. It also removed malicious DNS settings installed by hackers, and forced routers to reconnect with legitimate DNS services provided by internet companies. It was assured that the operation did not affect the everyday function of the router in any possible way.
Users are urged to replace the routers as soon as possible
In addition to remotely resetting the routers, the FBI and NSA urged users to replace compromised or unsupported routers as soon as possible. The users of several older TP-Link models, including the Archer C5, Archer C7, TL-WR841N, MR6400, WR840N, WR941ND, and multiple WR and WDR series routers, are specifically requested to replace their devices. The agency said the following models no longer receive security updates and are an easy target for attackers.
The authority has also urged users to change their default username and password. They are also advised to disable remote management access, timely update the devices, and follow caution while browsing the internet or visiting unknown web pages.
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