Just about anyone can rent access to White House IP addresses
Someone at the White House appears to be running software that could enable outsiders to rent access on the presidential network for just "a few dollars," as reported by Krebs on Security and The Register. That's according to findings from the security firms Layer3 Intel and Synthient, which discovered residential proxy activity on the White […]
Security researchers have uncovered residential proxy activity on the White House's network, indicating that someone within the White House may be running software that allows outsiders to rent access for "a few dollars." This was reported by Krebs on Security and The Register, and confirmed by security firms Layer3 Intel and Synthient.
Residential proxies enable users to conceal their internet activity by routing it through a home IP address, often unbeknownst to them. Many apps and browser extensions utilize third-party software development kits (SDKs) that incorporate proxy nodes, which can then be sold by third-party services. While residential proxies can be used legitimately for tasks like ad verification and quality assurance testing, they can also be exploited by malicious actors to bypass security measures.
Layer3 Intel discovered 28 residential proxy services routing traffic from the White House network between October 5th and November 3rd, with activity typically occurring between 5PM ET and midnight. This suggests a persistent individual rather than a public guest Wi-Fi network. The SDK involved may be associated with the watch party app Rave, which bundles 12 proxy SDKs.
Synthient identified Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices on the White House network communicating with known proxy providers, including Infatica, founded by Vladimir Fomenko, owner of King Servers involved in 2016 election system cyberattacks. Layer3 Intel cautions that residential proxies are "public access," meaning anyone can sign up and pay to use them.
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