CHINESE FIRE ANT HACKERS WEAPONIZE CISCO ROUTERS

Security researchers uncovered the advanced tactic when analyzing a compromised Cisco router. The attackers created Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) tunnels that operated invisibly—leaving no evidence in running configurations or historical logs that would typically document such changes. This method allows Fire Ant to intercept and redirect network traffic without alerting administrators. By operating at the router level, the group gains access to data passing through the infrastructure before it reaches endpoints. Cisco IOS XR routers are widely deployed in enterprise and service provider networks, making them high-value targets for espionage operations. The discovery highlights how sophisticated state-sponsored groups exploit infrastructure vulnerabilities to establish persistent access. Organizations running affected Cisco equipment should audit their router configurations for unexplained tunnel interfaces and review access logs for suspicious activity. Cisco has not yet released patches addressing this specific attack vector.