Infrastructure Briefing — October 2, 2025
CISA, NSA, and the FBI warn that BlackTech actors have modified edge-router firmware to maintain persistence, requiring operators to verify signed images and lock down remote administration.
What happened: Joint advisory AA23-214A from CISA, NSA, the FBI, and Japan's NISC details how BlackTech compromised branch routers by downgrading or replacing firmware to remove logs and maintain persistence.AA23-214A
Why it matters: Firmware tampering bypasses OS-level controls and survives factory resets. The advisory shows attackers abusing vendor-signed images and default trust anchors—highlighting supply-chain risks when image provenance, downgrade protections, and config baselines are weak.
Actions for infrastructure teams
- Enforce signed, locked firmware. Validate cryptographic signatures before and after upgrades, block unsigned or older images, and disable automatic fallback that allows downgrades without approval.CISA BlackTech guidance
- Harden remote management. Restrict administrative access to management networks, require MFA, and disable vendor cloud-managed tunnels if they are not in use to prevent covert firmware pushes.NSA/CSA PDF
- Continuously attest edge devices. Deploy secure boot with measured boot/TPM attestation where supported and monitor for config drift that indicates hidden firmware changes.
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