"Fronton IoT Botnet Packs Disinformation Punch"

The Fronton botnet can do far more than execute Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks. It can also track social media trends and launch fitting propaganda. The Fronton DDoS-focused botnet first made headlines in March of 2020, when a hacktivist group called Digital Revolution said it obtained documents claiming to be from 0day Technologies, which is allegedly a contractor for Russia's Federal Security Service. According to the cybersecurity firm Nisos, Fronton malware goes beyond delivering DDoS attacks as it can also be used to create massive numbers of social media accounts aimed at shaping opinion via social media manipulation. Further examination of Fronton-related documents reveals that DDoS is only one of the botnet's many capabilities. Fronton has been determined to be a system created for coordinated inauthentic activity on a vast scale. Researchers say Fronton also serves as a backbone infrastructure for disinformation on social media. DDoS attacks and disinformation operations are carried out by the malware using an army of infected Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This system incorporates SANA, a web-based dashboard that allows users to mass-produce and deploy trending social media events. The system creates these events, which it refers to as 'newsbreaks,' by using the botnet as a geographically distributed transport. SANA allows users to create fake social media identities with generated email and phone numbers. These fake accounts are then used to distribute content throughout social networks, blogs, and forums. The platform also allows users to adjust the number of likes, comments, and reactions. This article continues to discuss findings surrounding the Fronton IoT botnet's capabilities. 

Threatpost reports "Fronton IoT Botnet Packs Disinformation Punch"