The FBI has issued a warning about Static Tundra, a cyber espionage group linked to Russia’s FSB Center 16. The group is exploiting a seven-year-old vulnerability (CVE-2018-0171) in Cisco IOS and IOS XE software to gain persistent access to network devices.
The flaw affects Cisco’s Smart Install feature and allows remote attackers to execute code or reboot devices. Static Tundra targets outdated and unpatched systems using weak SNMP protocols, focusing on organizations in telecommunications, education, and manufacturing across multiple continents.
Over the past year, the group has collected configuration data from thousands of U.S. infrastructure devices, modifying settings to enable backdoor access and reconnaissance. They use tools like SYNful Knock, a stealthy router backdoor first identified in 2015, along with GRE tunnels and native commands to expand their reach without triggering alarms.
Cisco urges organizations to patch affected systems or disable Smart Install to reduce risk. Static Tundra continues to refine its tactics, using public scan data and subtle techniques to avoid detection while gathering intelligence.
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