SocksEscort’s major proxy network, powered by Linux malware, was taken down by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

• “Operation Lightning” Takes Down SocksEscort Proxy Botnet
• More than 369,000 routers and IoT devices compromised in 163 countries
• Law enforcement seized domains, servers and $3.5 million in crypto

An international law enforcement campaign called “Operation Lightning” took down SocksEscort, a malicious residential proxy network that had thousands of devices and scammed millions of dollars.

A malicious residential proxy is a service that routes internet traffic through real home devices and IP addresses previously infected with malware. Attackers use these proxies to hide their real location and appear like normal users online, which helps them evade security systems and engage in different malicious activities such as credential stuffing, ad fraud, account takeover, etc.