Cybersecurity researchers claim that the Fronton botnet boasts a far larger arsenal of abilities than just launching a DDoS attack. Researchers allege that the botnet can track social media trends and launch suitable propaganda in addition to its cyberattack skills. A new look at the botnet reveals that the criminal tool may have been using its capabilities undetected by security researchers. The botnet first rose to recognition in March 2020, when a hacktivist group called Digital Revolution claimed to have obtained documents from a Russian Federal Security Service contractor called 0day Technologies.
Although it is unclear if the botnet did originate from a Russian source, the cybersecurity firm Nisos now claims that the Fronton botnet can be used to manipulate massive numbers of social media accounts that are then purported to spread disinformation, shape public opinion, and conduct social media manipulation. Fronton’s DDoS capabilities may have just been a front to distract cybersecurity researchers from its other malicious contents.