433/67 Wednesday, December 4, 2024
South Korean police have arrested the CEO and five employees of a company after discovering that the company produced over 240,000 satellite receivers equipped or updated with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack functionality at the request of customers, in violation of the law. The manufacturer and the purchasing company had been in business since 2017. In November 2018, the purchasing company requested the addition of DDoS attack capabilities to the devices, which the South Korean manufacturer implemented. These DDoS functionalities were used unlawfully, particularly in external attacks, and negatively impacted the devices’ performance and user experience.
Between January 2019 and September 2024, the company delivered over 240,000 satellite receivers, of which 98,000 were pre-installed with DDoS capabilities, while the rest were updated via firmware.
The investigation began in July following intelligence from Interpol, which identified Company A as importing satellite receivers with DDoS functionalities from the South Korean manufacturer, Company B. Further investigation revealed that the malicious functionality was added through firmware updates. The six suspects in South Korea face charges under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
Additionally, the court has approved the seizure of company assets worth 61 billion won (approximately USD 4.35 million), representing revenue from the sale of these devices. However, the purchasing company involved in the operation remains at large. South Korean police are coordinating internationally to track and arrest the remaining suspects.
