Ukrainian Hackers Target Russian ISP, Causing Internet Outages

Nodex Internet Provider Experiencing Major Outage Following Cyberattack

Russian internet service provider Nodex has announced it is working to recover its systems after a significant cyberattack earlier this week. The attack resulted in hackers gaining access to its network and erasing its internal servers.

This malicious activity led to an immediate and total disruption of internet service for Nodex customers within Russia.

Outage Details and Confirmation

Data from Cloudflare, a prominent networking company that tracks internet activity, indicates the outage commenced late on January 6th. Currently, customer internet traffic levels remain at 0%.

Nodex acknowledged the cyberattack in a statement posted on the Russian social media platform VK. The translated message confirmed, “The network has been destroyed. We are restoring it from backup copies.”

The provider indicated that a precise timeframe for full service restoration is not yet available.

Attribution and Hacker Claims

The company subsequently attributed the attack to Ukrainian hackers, stating it caused a “complete failure” of its infrastructure.

A hacking collective identifying as the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance has claimed responsibility for the incident. They have shared screenshots purportedly taken from within Nodex’s network.

According to a post on Telegram, the group stated, “The Russian internet provider Nodex in St. Petersburg was completely looted and wiped. Data was exfiltrated, and the empty equipment, lacking backups, was left behind.”

These screenshots demonstrate access to crucial components of Nodex’s internal network, including systems managing virtual machines, backups, and other essential functions.

Ukrainian Cyber Alliance Background

The Record, a cybersecurity news outlet, initially reported on the breach. It identifies the Ukrainian Cyber Alliance as a group of pro-Ukrainian activists established in 2016.

The group has consistently targeted Russian organizations since the commencement of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ongoing Restoration Efforts

As of Wednesday evening in St. Petersburg, Russia, Nodex reported that its restoration work “continues.”

Nodex is actively attempting to rebuild its infrastructure and restore internet connectivity to its affected customers.