US takes down NightmareStresser DDoS-for-hire platform
FBI seized NightmareStresser, a DDoS-for-hire platform with 566,000 users and servers capable of 200 Gbps attacks, under Operation PowerOFF.
US law enforcement seized the nightmare-stresser[.]com and nightmarestresser[.]org domains used by the DDoS-for-hire service. Searchlight Cyber reported in 2023 that NightmareStresser had over 566,000 registered users and 52 dedicated servers launching attacks of up to 200 Gbps against Layer 4 and Layer 7 targets. The FBI said the service was used for hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks since 2022. The action continues Operation PowerOFF, which began in December 2018 and previously took down DigitalStress, Dstat.cc and dozens of booter domains.
French prosecutors confirm arrest of suspected ZeroBytes hacker behind tax cyberattack
French prosecutors arrested an 18-year-old suspected ZeroBytes member tied to a tax authority breach exposing data of 600,000 people.
French authorities arrested an 18-year-old, alias 'ChatNoir,' in the Paris region on Aug. 18 and placed him in pretrial detention two days later over ZeroBytes attacks; a second suspect under 16 was arrested Aug. 26 and released. ZeroBytes claimed attacks on French government agencies, schools and companies starting July 16, including the DGFiP tax authority, which disclosed an August breach affecting data of more than 600,000 people. The suspect was previously under formal investigation for the 2024 Free telecom breach affecting over 19 million customers and for X account takeovers of BFM-TV and RMC linked to the Epsilon collective. Charged offenses carry up to 10 years in prison and a 300,000-euro fine.