A sophisticated new botnet family, identified as hpingbot, has emerged in the global cybersecurity landscape. This malware demonstrates unprecedented innovation in its design and also in its various attack methodologies. The hpingbot malware, first detected in June 2025, represents a significant departure from traditional botnet architectures. It leverages legitimate online services and network testing tools to orchestrate its distributed denial-of-service attacks. Unlike conventional botnets that derive from leaked source code, hpingbot is an original creation built from scratch. This cross-platform threat targets both Windows and Linux/IoT environments with variants compiled for multiple processor architectures.
The botnet’s attack capabilities are extensive, supporting over ten different distributed denial-of-service attack methods. These methods include ACK FLOOD, TCP FLOOD, SYN FLOOD, UDP FLOOD, and other sophisticated mixed-mode attack vectors. What makes this botnet particularly concerning to security researchers is its unique dual-purpose design. While capable of launching DDoS attacks, its primary value appears to be its ability to download and execute payloads. This positions it as a potential distribution platform for more dangerous malware, including ransomware or other advanced threats. Monitoring data indicates that attackers have issued several hundred DDoS commands, though the botnet remains largely dormant.
The most innovative aspect of the hpingbot malware lies in its sophisticated payload delivery system.
This system exploits Pastebin’s legitimate infrastructure to deliver its malicious payloads to the compromised computer systems. The malware embeds four hard-coded Pastebin URLs within its binary, creating a dynamic command and control mechanism. This specific approach allows the attackers to bypass traditional command and control detection methods used by security software. This allows attackers to update instructions, distribute new payloads, and modify attack parameters without directly communicating.
The payload delivery process begins when hpingbot contacts its embedded Pastebin links to retrieve updated instructions.
The malware includes a dedicated UPDATE module that processes these Pastebin-hosted instructions for the compromised systems. This enables the attackers to push new functionality or completely replace existing malware components on the network remotely. This system demonstrates remarkable operational security awareness, as attackers can rapidly modify their infrastructure. They can maintain persistent access to compromised systems through the ubiquitous and popular Pastebin platform. The threat actors behind hpingbot have shown a particular focus on German targets in their attacks. However, the United States and Turkey have also experienced attacks from this new and sophisticated botnet family.
Reference:
