PULSE NAME
DDoS-for-Hire Operation Exposed: How an Operator's Debug Build Unraveled a Commercial Game-Server Botnet
WHITE Tadashi AlienVault 2026-04-29 Modified: 2026-05-29
12
IOCs
MEDIUM VOLUME
An exposed open directory on a Netherlands-hosted server revealed the complete operational toolkit of xlabs_v1, a Mirai-derived IoT botnet operated by an actor using the handle Tadashi. The operation provides DDoS-for-hire services specifically targeting game servers and Minecraft hosts through 21 distinct flood attack variants. The botnet exploits Android Debug Bridge (ADB) on TCP/5555 to compromise over 4 million potentially vulnerable IoT devices including Android TV boxes, smart TVs, and routers. The operation features bandwidth profiling to price-tier infected devices, ChaCha20 string encryption with cryptographic weaknesses, and competitor-eradication routines. Infrastructure analysis consolidated the entire operation within a single bulletproof /24 netblock in the Netherlands, with co-located cryptojacking infrastructure also identified.
Indicators of Compromise (3 / 12 total)
All FileHash-MD5 FileHash-SHA1 FileHash-SHA256
TYPEINDICATORDESCRIPTIONCREATED
FileHash-SHA1 98182f78f2ee76f3dffa58c268dd9e653c711ce5 2026-04-29
FileHash-SHA1 da365650e77eaf9d79801d475de7bf2b2a031251 2026-04-29
FileHash-SHA1 dbcf1c93634010c7e6131bcdfffa72e30da2376a 2026-04-29