Description : More than 600,000 U.S. routers were rendered permanently inoperable in a mysterious cyber attack codenamed Pumpkin Eclipse, impacting one major ISP. Learn more about the stealthy malware behind the event and its unprecedented effects.
United States - More than 600,000 small office/home office (SOHO) routers across the U.S. were bricked and rendered permanently inoperable during a three-day period from October 25-27, 2023.
This massive cyber attack, codenamed Pumpkin Eclipse by Lumen Technologies' Black Lotus Labs, has disrupted internet access for countless users, leaving a devastating mark on one internet service provider (ISP) in particular.
The mysterious cyber event, which has been described as one of the most significant attacks on SOHO infrastructure in recent history, targeted three specific router models issued by the impacted ISP: ActionTec T3200, ActionTec T3260, and Sagemcom.
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The disruption led to nearly half of all modems from the ISP's network being taken offline, causing widespread outages and frustrations for users across the country.
The incident has been dubbed Pumpkin Eclipse by security researchers due to its scale and timing, as well as the suddenness of the attack.
The cyber assault was concentrated on a single ISP in the U.S., and while the ISP has not been officially named, evidence suggests it could be Windstream, which experienced a major outage during the same period.
According to Lumen Technologies' Black Lotus Labs, the attack unfolded over a 72-hour period, crippling the targeted routers and rendering them permanently unusable.
This forced the ISP to undertake massive hardware replacements, a process that proved costly and time-consuming.
The infected devices displayed a steady red light, a telltale sign of the attack, with affected users left without internet access until replacement modems could be installed.
Months after the attack, further analysis by Lumen Technologies revealed that a stealthy malware known as Chalubo was the primary weapon used by the unidentified cyber actors.
Chalubo, which had first been documented by cybersecurity firm Sophos in 2018, is a sophisticated remote access trojan (RAT) designed to infect SOHO and IoT devices.
Chalubo’s destructive capabilities are vast, with payloads that can target all major SOHO and IoT kernels. The malware is pre-built to perform distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and can execute any Lua script sent to the compromised bot.
It is believed that the adversaries leveraged Chalubo’s Lua scripting functionality to deliver the destructive payload responsible for the bricking of the routers.
The attack sequence began once the attackers successfully gained a foothold in the routers, though the exact method of initial access remains unknown.
It is suspected that the attackers either exploited weak administrative credentials or abused an exposed administrative interface to breach the routers.
Once inside, the attackers deployed shell scripts to prepare the system for infection, ultimately dropping a loader that retrieved and launched Chalubo from an external server.
It was during this phase that the destructive Lua script was likely downloaded and executed, effectively bricking over 600,000 routers and leaving them permanently inoperable.
This type of campaign is unusual because of its precise targeting of a single ISP's autonomous system number (ASN), rather than focusing on a broader set of vulnerable devices across multiple networks.
While many cyberattacks aim at specific router models or known vulnerabilities, Pumpkin Eclipse stands out for its narrow and deliberate scope.
The immediate impact of the attack was substantial. In addition to rendering hundreds of thousands of routers unusable, the ISP’s network suffered a significant loss of service, with 49% of all modems on the ISP's ASN being abruptly removed during the attack. This led to a widespread blackout, with customers experiencing internet disruptions for several days.
Windstream, which has been identified as the likely victim of the attack, faced a substantial logistical challenge in replacing the bricked modems.
Customers reported confusion, frustration, and long delays as technicians worked to restore service by installing replacement routers.
In total, the cost of replacing over 600,000 devices, coupled with the service disruptions and customer dissatisfaction, is expected to run into millions of dollars.
The attack highlighted the vulnerability of SOHO devices and underscored the need for stronger cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure.
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While Chalubo has been known to the cybersecurity community since 2018, its use in such a large-scale attack is alarming. The trojan's ability to perform DDoS attacks, execute scripts, and spread across SOHO networks makes it a potent threat, particularly in environments where device security may be lax.
The attack also raises questions about the adversaries' intentions. Chalubo is typically associated with botnet activity, where infected devices are commandeered to perform DDoS attacks or other malicious activities.
However, in this case, the primary objective appeared to be the destruction of the targeted routers, rather than their continued use for illicit purposes.
Lumen Technologies noted that while Chalubo was used in this attack, it may have been selected specifically to obscure attribution.
The attack did not rely on a custom toolkit, which would have been more easily traced back to a specific group or actor. Instead, the use of a well-known piece of malware like Chalubo suggests that the adversaries were attempting to cover their tracks and avoid detection.
One of the key mysteries surrounding Pumpkin Eclipse is whether the attack was a deliberate effort to target a specific ISP or whether it was an unintended consequence of a broader campaign.
The fact that the attack was confined to a single ASN and affected only three router models suggests a high degree of precision, which points to a targeted attack.
However, the motivations behind the attack remain unclear. Unlike many other cyberattacks that are financially motivated, such as ransomware campaigns, Pumpkin Eclipse does not appear to have had a financial incentive.
The decision to permanently disable the routers, rather than leverage them for continued malicious activity, suggests that the adversaries had other objectives in mind.
It is possible that the attack was intended as a demonstration of capability or as part of a larger strategic goal. Some cybersecurity experts have speculated that it could have been a test of disruptive technology, with the attackers seeking to gauge the ISP's response to a large-scale infrastructure failure.
Lumen Technologies noted that the Pumpkin Eclipse attack is unprecedented in scale, with no known attack in recent history having caused the permanent bricking of over 600,000 devices.
However, they drew a comparison to another notable event: the AcidRain attack, which was used as a precursor to an active military invasion.
The AcidRain malware, which was deployed in 2022, similarly targeted SOHO devices and was used to facilitate military operations by disabling critical communications infrastructure.
While there is no evidence to suggest that Pumpkin Eclipse is linked to any military activity, the scale and nature of the attack have raised concerns within the cybersecurity community.
The Pumpkin Eclipse attack serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities that exist within SOHO networks. Many SOHO devices are not designed with robust security measures in mind, making them easy targets for cybercriminals.
Weak credentials, outdated firmware, and exposed administrative interfaces all provide opportunities for attackers to gain access and wreak havoc.
For ISPs and device manufacturers, the attack highlights the need for stronger security protocols, including mandatory updates, stronger password requirements, and the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Ensuring that devices are properly secured and regularly patched is essential to prevent future attacks of this magnitude.
The Pumpkin Eclipse attack will likely be remembered as one of the most devastating cyber events to target SOHO infrastructure in the U.S.
The fact that over 600,000 routers were bricked and rendered permanently inoperable underscores the severity of the incident and the potential dangers posed by sophisticated malware like Chalubo.
As the cybersecurity community continues to investigate the attack and uncover the motivations behind it, the focus will undoubtedly shift toward preventing future incidents.
Strengthening SOHO security, improving incident response times, and fostering collaboration between ISPs, manufacturers, and cybersecurity firms will be critical in mitigating the risks posed by increasingly complex cyber threats.
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