The FBI has led a multinational law enforcement operation that has successfully dismantled QakBot, a leading malware loader used by cybercriminals to deploy ransomware.
As part of Operation Duck Hunt, the FBI gained access to QakBot’s admin computers, which helped law enforcement map out the server infrastructure used in the botnet’s operation.
It then seized 52 servers, which it said would “permanently dismantle” the botnet, and redirected QakBot’s traffic to servers controlled by the Bureau, pointing victims to download an uninstaller.