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The Andoryu botnet has been observed exploiting the critical Ruckus Wireless access point web vulnerability CVE-2023-25717 to compromise exposed admin panels and turn affected devices into bots. The flaw, disclosed by Ruckus as an RCE/CSRF issue in AP web management interfaces, allows attackers to deploy a propagation script and expand infections across vulnerable wireless infrastructure.
Researchers said the compromised access points are being used primarily for DDoS attacks, with Andoryu supporting ICMP, TCP, and UDP flooding and communicating with command-and-control servers over SOCKS5. The activity also shows the botnet broadening its exploit arsenal beyond earlier abuse of GitLab CVE-2021-22205 and Lilin DVR flaws, underscoring how enterprise and edge devices continue to be repurposed for large-scale attack operations.
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4 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
According to Fortinet researcher Cara Lin, the latest Andoryu campaign began in late April 2023 and started exploiting the critical Ruckus flaw CVE-2023-25717. After compromise, attackers dropped a remote script for proliferation and used infected devices to await commands for ICMP, TCP, and UDP DDoS attacks.
Ruckus published a security bulletin for CVE-2023-25717, a critical unauthenticated remote code execution flaw in the AP web admin panel caused by improper handling of HTTP requests. The vulnerability was described as allowing complete compromise of affected wireless access point equipment, and the flaw was patched.
QiAnXin first documented the Andoryu botnet in February 2023. The malware was noted as using SOCKS5 for command-and-control communications and previously weaponizing GitLab CVE-2021-22205 and Lilin DVR flaws for propagation.
Fortinet observed the latest RapperBot miner activity in January 2023, showing newer variants adding XMRig-based Monero mining to the botnet's established DDoS operations. The attacks delivered a Bash script that downloaded and executed separate XMRig miners and RapperBot binaries, with later updates merging both functions into one client.
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**RondoDox** has expanded into a large-scale botnet campaign that targets **174 vulnerabilities** across a wide range of internet-exposed devices, with researchers observing up to **15,000 daily exploitation attempts**. Reporting based on **Bitsight** telemetry says the botnet, active since 2025 and built on a **Mirai** code base, is more focused than typical Mirai-derived operations: it is geared toward **denial-of-service activity** and supports **18 architectures**, enabling attacks against routers, DVRs, NVRs, CCTV systems, web servers, and other embedded or Linux-based hardware. Analysts mapped **148 exploits to CVEs**, identified **15 public PoCs without CVEs**, and found **11 exploits with no public PoC**, indicating active exploit collection and rapid weaponization of newly disclosed flaws. The campaign has evolved from earlier exploitation of **TP-Link Archer AX21** flaw `CVE-2023-1389` and later abuse of `CVE-2024-3721`, `CVE-2024-12856`, and the **React2Shell** issue `CVE-2025-55182` affecting **Next.js** servers. Researchers also reported that the operators use **residential IP infrastructure** and traffic patterns that mimic gaming or VPN services to reduce detection, while showing the ability to deploy some exploits within days of disclosure and, in at least one case, exploit `CVE-2025-62593` before its CVE record was formally published. This activity reflects a sustained, strategically managed botnet operation rather than opportunistic scanning, with broad exploit coverage and infrastructure choices designed to improve reach and resilience.
Jun 29, 2026
Researchers reported that the **RondoDox** botnet is actively exploiting `CVE-2018-5999`, a critical remote code execution flaw in Asus routers that lets unauthenticated attackers gain **root access**. VulnCheck said it observed in-the-wild exploitation beginning on May 17, marking the first known real-world abuse of the 2018 vulnerability even though public exploit code has been available for years. The flaw affects widely deployed consumer routers, with more than 1 million Asus devices believed to be exposed online. RondoDox, a Linux-focused botnet first seen in mid-2025 and often described as a **Mirai** variant, uses multi-stage mass exploitation against end-of-life and IoT devices, frequently chaining older embedded-device CVEs before deploying malware and connecting to command-and-control infrastructure. Researchers said the botnet is primarily used for denial-of-service attacks and appears to rely on compromised residential IP addresses for hosting, suggesting its operators closely track vulnerability disclosures and rapidly weaponize older flaws in consumer networking gear.
Jun 29, 2026
The RondoDox botnet has emerged as a significant threat, actively targeting a wide array of internet-exposed infrastructure by exploiting over 50 known vulnerabilities, many of which were first disclosed during Pwn2Own hacking competitions. Security researchers from Trend Micro and FortiGuard Labs have observed the botnet leveraging an 'exploit shotgun' approach, simultaneously deploying numerous exploits to maximize infection rates across diverse device types. The campaign has been active globally since at least June 2025, with attacks focusing on routers, digital video recorders (DVRs), network video recorders (NVRs), CCTV systems, web servers, and other network devices from more than 30 vendors. Notably, the botnet exploits both recent and older vulnerabilities, including CVE-2023-1389 in the TP-Link Archer AX21 Wi-Fi router, which was originally demonstrated at Pwn2Own Toronto 2022 and previously targeted by Mirai. The list of exploited vulnerabilities includes CVE-2024-3721, CVE-2024-12856, and many others affecting brands such as Digiever, QNAP, LB-LINK, TRENDnet, D-Link, TBK, Four-Faith, Netgear, AVTECH, TOTOLINK, Tenda, Meteobridge, Edimax, and Linksys. Many of these vulnerabilities are now included in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, underscoring the urgency for organizations to patch affected systems. Devices that have reached end-of-life are particularly at risk, as they are less likely to receive security updates, making them attractive targets for the botnet operators. The campaign exposes organizations to risks including data exfiltration, persistent network compromise, and operational disruption, especially for those with internet-facing infrastructure. Security experts recommend prioritizing the patching of all listed vulnerabilities, conducting regular vulnerability assessments, segmenting networks to limit lateral movement, and continuously monitoring for anomalous device activity. Trend Micro has indicated that its solutions provide protection against the vulnerabilities exploited by RondoDox, offering mitigation while patching is underway. The rapid weaponization of vulnerabilities demonstrated at Pwn2Own highlights the need for organizations to monitor disclosures from such competitions and act swiftly to secure their environments. The RondoDox botnet’s ability to quickly expand its arsenal of exploits demonstrates a high level of adaptability and threat actor sophistication. The campaign’s global reach and the diversity of targeted devices suggest that organizations across multiple sectors are at risk. The use of mass n-day exploitation, rather than relying solely on zero-day vulnerabilities, allows the botnet to compromise a large number of devices that may not be promptly patched. Security researchers emphasize the importance of defense-in-depth strategies to mitigate the impact of such widespread exploitation campaigns. The ongoing activity of RondoDox serves as a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by botnets leveraging known vulnerabilities in widely deployed network devices.
Jun 29, 2026