Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Router Firmware to Establish Covert Communication Network Chinese State-Sponsored Hackers Exploit Router Firmware to Establish Covert Communication Network In a significant discovery, researchers have unveiled the presence of malicious firmware capable of harnessing a wide range of residential and small office routers to form a network that covertly relays traffic to command-and-control servers operated by Chinese state-sponsored hackers. Check Point Research has exposed a firmware implant that includes a comprehensive backdoor, enabling attackers to establish communication channels, transfer files, issue remote commands, and manipulate uploaded and downloaded content. The implant was specifically identified in firmware images designed…