Security researchers find surveillance implants in Chinese-made routers sold worldwide
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2026 2:12 pm
Security researchers find surveillance implants in Chinese-made routers sold worldwide — three different backdoor-like implants hidden in firmware.
The surveillance seems aimed at the domestic market, but it knocks huge holes in the security of the devices it's found in.
Security researchers have found three different backdoor-like implants hidden in firmware for routers manufactured by Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics, better known as ZBT. The hardware is sold around the world under a bewildering array of brands, meaning you may not even realize you're using a ZBT router. The research, published by security firm VulnCheck, began with a Zbtlink AX3000 router. Researchers found that its firmware contained an implant that they dubbed ENDLESSDOORS, as it automatically phones home to a command-and-control server and can execute arbitrary commands as root.
Full article can be found at:
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-indus ... n-firmware
The surveillance seems aimed at the domestic market, but it knocks huge holes in the security of the devices it's found in.
Security researchers have found three different backdoor-like implants hidden in firmware for routers manufactured by Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics, better known as ZBT. The hardware is sold around the world under a bewildering array of brands, meaning you may not even realize you're using a ZBT router. The research, published by security firm VulnCheck, began with a Zbtlink AX3000 router. Researchers found that its firmware contained an implant that they dubbed ENDLESSDOORS, as it automatically phones home to a command-and-control server and can execute arbitrary commands as root.
Full article can be found at:
https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-indus ... n-firmware