Two South Korean companies, known for manufacturing satellite receivers, have recently made headlines due to their involvement in equipping their devices with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack capabilities.
Following thorough investigations, the South Korean government has issued arrest warrants for the CEOs of these companies, whose identities are being kept confidential for legal reasons.
The details of the case were recently revealed to the public. In 2017, the two companies received an order to supply approximately 240,000 satellite receivers, with the controversial feature of being pre-configured to launch DDoS attacks. The companies collaborated on the project, and by the end of that year, they delivered the devices to the buyer. Of the total, over 98,560 devices were manufactured with the DDoS functionality already integrated. The remaining units were updated via over-the-air (OTA) updates in 2018, which enabled them to perform DDoS attacks as well.
The majority of buyers were unaware that the devices they purchased were capable of carrying out cyberattacks. The receivers were essentially designed to act as botnets, which could be used to disrupt satellite operations when necessary.
In July of this year, Interpol received a tip-off regarding the DDoS capabilities of these satellite receivers. After a detailed investigation, it was discovered that some of the devices had also been sold to broadcasting companies in developed countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and the UAE.
Following a comprehensive risk assessment, South Korean authorities decided to arrest the executives involved in the scheme. To date, six arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing. Additionally, the funds earned from the sale of the compromised devices will be seized and redirected to the government’s treasury.
