Millions of everyday consumer devices in the United States have been compromised by malware known as residential proxy software, creating a network of backdoors that hackers can exploit to carry out cyberattacks and other illegal activities, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal published Monday.
The Digital Citizens Alliance estimates that 20 million consumer devices in the U.S. have been infected with the malware, which provides anyone—including hackers—a backdoor into home networks. The investigation found that the infections are particularly common in inexpensive knockoff electronics purchased online.
Wall Street Journal reporter Jack Gillum tested several malware-riddled products to demonstrate how criminals are tapping into them to carry out cyberattacks around the world, the Journal reported. The compromised devices allow hackers to route malicious traffic through unsuspecting homeowners’ networks, making the attacks harder to trace.
The report highlights a growing cybersecurity risk from the proliferation of connected home devices, many of which ship with weak security protections or pre-installed malware. As the Trump administration moved earlier this year to ban imports of new foreign-made routers over security risks, the Journal’s findings underscore persistent vulnerabilities in the consumer electronics supply chain.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 51,202.26 on Monday.