Gamers are warned about DDoS attacks from Dark Frost botnet

Gamers across the world face new threats brought by the Dark Frost botnet through waves of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. Reports state that Dark Frost has taken inspiration from other malware strains and has already compromised hundreds of gaming devices.

Most of the targeted victims of the botnet include gaming companies, online gaming streamers, and game server hosting providers. However, researchers are concerned about this malicious campaign targeting other gaming community members whom the hackers have recently had direct interactions with.

 

Dark Frost botnet expands at a rapid rate as it takes control of hundreds of compromised devices.

 

According to the latest studies, the gaming industry has been heavily disrupted by the threats of the Dark Frost botnet, with companies struggling to keep pace with the evolving threat.

The botnet stands out for how it utilises stolen source code from other malware, including QBot, Gafgyt, and Mirai. The combined source codes of these powerful botnets have elevated Dark Frost’s capabilities, presenting a critical concern for cybersecurity experts.

Some of Dark Frost’s capabilities include mining digital currencies, exfiltrating sensitive data, and disrupting the operations of targeted websites and servers. These threats represent a botnet evolution peak that poses an imminent threat to users’ online security.

Security researchers also have conducted a reverse-engineering of the botnet that was initially flagged on February 28, 2023. They noted that Dark Frost has an astonishing 629.28 Gbps DDoS attack potential via a UPD flood attack, which caught the attention of many security experts.

It is also worth noting that the threat operators behind the Dark Frost botnet have audaciously published live recordings of their attacks and boasted their accomplishments on social media. Digital signatures have also been left on the actors’ binary file, which leaves a bold and distinctive mark of their attacks.

The malicious actors have also set up a Discord channel to facilitate their operations in exchange for payment. Experts underline that this could denote the group leading its operations as a DDoS-for-hire service.

Experts warn the whole gaming community to remain vigilant and protect themselves with preventive measures, such as regularly updating security software, being alert against suspicious actors that try to launch cyberattacks, and using strong passwords in their accounts.