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Posted on 05/12/2026 8:13:43 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The FBI and NSA jointly announced that Russia has been systematically compromising the security of home and small office routers since at least 2024.
They obtained a court order to allow them to remotely reset thousands of affected devices in the US, but if yours is one of them, it needs to be urgently replaced …
CNET reports.
Federal agencies, including the FBI and NSA, disclosed on April 7 that a unit of Russia’s military intelligence directorate, the GRU group known as APT28 or Fancy Bear, has been systematically compromising home and small office routers since at least 2024, using the access to intercept credentials, authentication tokens and sensitive communications. The agency took the unusual step of remotely resetting thousands of affected US devices under a court order, but officials are warning that without action from individual router owners, the problem is far from solved.
However, the agencies say that the affected routers are no longer receiving security updates and should be replaced.
The good news is that the average 9to5Mac reader is unlikely to be using one of the affected routers as they are so old. The specific model referenced by the FBI was originally launched in 2007, although the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre says that other TP-Link models were targeted.
(Excerpt) Read more at 9to5mac.com ...
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I’m glad I swore off home-grade routers ~3-1/2 years ago.
Russia Russia Russia still works for the FBI I guess. Kash’s guys being “good cops” again.
I have way more fear of Big Brother than the Russian bear when it comes to cybersecurity.
"Russia" will remain the boogeyman for anything illegal and anti-Constitutional the Woke, Democrat, DC deep-state wants to do.
Notice how tightly that aligns with the positions of London, Brussels, and Davos?
They rarely use "China" as an excuse, although China is far more aggressive (and technically advanced) in its surveillance and propaganda. And of course, they NEVER use "radical Islam" as an excuse, because "radical Islam" is their baby.
Again, note how close that aligns with the EU?
It’s actually happening though, look at this story just yesterday about Chinese made Yarbo lawnmowers:
https://www.techspot.com/news/112350-hacker-gains-access-11000-yarbo-lawn-robots-exposing.html
A security researcher found that every Yarbo robot ships with a backdoor that exposes your Wi-Fi password in plain text.
Every unit sold worldwide is effectively a backdoor into the owner’s Wi-Fi network, and there appears to be little users can do about it.
Security researcher Andreas Makris recently outlined exploits that could allow hackers to hijack thousands of Yarbo lawnmowers sold across more than 30 countries. According to Makris, all units ship with a preinstalled backdoor capable of exposing owners’ private information, and the vulnerability cannot currently be disabled.
A lawn mower that uses Wi-Fi!!!??? What the heck???
Yep.
Ubiquiti is easy for most home users and much more secure.
What are the best alternatives?
Zathras nailed it.
Ignore the click bait fear porn. I have used my TP-Link router for 10 years. No issues at all.
My router allows me to set up separate wireless networks, which mitigates this.
However, you need to be careful that it can’t peer into the rest of what is attached, at the network. A completely separate network to the Internet needs to be carefully done.
I can do that with my Asus.
And also have Peggy!
Are you using one of the listed routers, or do you use an alternate firmware?
It’s one of those self mowing robot lawnmowers, kind like the lawnmower version of Roomba.
BTW, a lot of Roomba clones are also manufactured in China with similar wifi access and backdoors so anyone who knows about them can hack into your network through them.
Chinese made Yarbo lawnmowers:
....
Twisting China made into Russia Russia Russia is FBI/CIA level trolling.
There's no national security information on my machine, but with the FBI potentially "anything can and will be used". Even under Trump. Presidents come and go, the FBI remains.
For us normies, what, then, do you use?
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