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SOHO router compromise leads to DNS hijacking and adversary-in-the

Blogs.Microsoft •Microsoft Threat Intelligence • April 7, 2026

Executive summary Forest Blizzard, a threat actor linked to the Russian military, has been compromising insecure and small-office internet equipment like routers, then modifying their settings in ways that turn them into part of the actor’s malicious infrastructure.

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This article is one source in a clustered incident — the cluster page carries the summary, timeline and every other outlet covering it.

APT28 Exploits Vulnerable Routers for Global DNS Hijacking Campaign Russian cyber group APT28, also known as Fancy Bear, has been exploiting vulnerabilities in TP-Link and MikroTik routers to conduct large-scale DNS hijacking operations. This campaign, which has affected over 18,000 devices across 120 countries, allows attackers to intercept internet traffic and steal sensitive information, including passwords and access tokens. The group has been leveraging known vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2023-50224, to modify DNS settings and redirect users to malicious servers. The U.S. Department of Justice and FBI recently announced the takedown of a significant portion of this infrastructure in an operation dubbed 'Operation Masquerade.' The attacks have primarily targeted military, government, and critical infrastructure sectors. Authorities are urging users to update their devices and follow security best practices to mitigate risks. The NCSC and Microsoft have issued advisories detailing the ongoing threat and the need for immediate action. 100 sources 78

SOHO router compromise leads to DNS hijacking and adversary-in-the

The full story

Extracted Entities

APT Groups (1)

Attack Types (1)