DOJ and Europol takedown of SocksEscort proxy network
Law Enforcement
Summary
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U.S. and European law enforcement took down SocksEscort, a long-running cybercrime proxy network that routed traffic through compromised edge devices. The action seized 34 domains and 23 servers across seven countries and froze $3.5 million in cryptocurrency. It cut off infected devices from the service and disrupted a platform used to help criminals evade blocklists and route malicious traffic.
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Timeline
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12.03.2026 18:19 2 articles · 2mo ago
U.S. and European law enforcement disrupt SocksEscort proxy network
Legal Policy Action UpdateU.S. and European law enforcement, with private partners, disrupted the SocksEscort cybercrime proxy network on March 12, 2026, seized 34 domains and 23 servers across seven countries, froze $3.5 million in cryptocurrency, and disconnected infected devices that routed criminal traffic through AVRecon-compromised Linux edge devices.
Show sources
- US disrupts SocksEscort proxy network powered by Linux malware — www.bleepingcomputer.com — 12.03.2026 18:19
- Authorities Disrupt SocksEscort Proxy Botnet Exploiting 369,000 IPs Across 163 Countries — thehackernews.com — 13.03.2026 07:26