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World desk4 min

New Linux Backdoors Target Telecoms, Disguised as Email-Security Software

Reported Linux backdoors pose as SpamSniper and ShareTech email-security software while disguising command traffic as SMTP. Here’s what the campaigns involve and what defenders can check.
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Two reported campaigns have used Linux backdoors against telecom and network-edge environments in South Korea and Taiwan. The implants reportedly pose as legitimate email-security software and make command traffic look like SMTP, complicating detection based on process names or network ports alone. The technical details below come from a Threadlinqs Intelligence summary published October 3, 2026, of Rapid7 reporting dated October 2; the underlying Rapid7 report was not available for direct review.

What the reported campaigns have in common

The campaigns use different malware families and impersonated products, but the reported concealment has a shared logic: make malware look like software expected on mail-security or network-edge systems, then blend command traffic with familiar email protocols. A legitimate-looking process name or a connection on SMTP’s customary port is therefore not proof that a host is clean—or compromised. Context matters: the executable’s path and state, the process opening the connection, and whether the device should be sending mail all help distinguish expected activity from suspicious behavior.

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The technical descriptions here are attributed to the secondary summary, not presented as independent examination of the samples. Infosecurity Magazine’s search-result excerpt separately described the broader finding of Linux backdoors targeting telecom and network-edge appliances in South Korea and Taiwan, but its article page was unavailable.

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How the two campaigns differ

Reported activity Target environment Impersonated software Implant and reported behavior
South Korea-focused Telecom and mail-security environments SpamSniper, including daemon- or SpamSniper-related process paths and PID-file behavior BPFDoor variants and a modified Rekoobe variant. The summary says BPFDoor samples can wait for a packet trigger; one variant is also described as supporting HTTP tunneling over HTTPS POST.
Taiwan-focused Mail-security appliances and embedded edge devices, including NAS and CCTV/DVR devices ShareTech mail-security appliances AVERAT builds, described as a modular remote-access trojan using SMTP/STARTTLS-looking communications over TCP port 25. The reported command set includes file operations, process control, interactive shells, module loading, reboot, and port forwarding.

These are sample-specific descriptions in the summary, not guarantees about every installation of BPFDoor, Rekoobe, or AVERAT. The summary also reports compromised edge devices being used as relays, which makes exposure of appliances relevant beyond the data stored on the devices themselves.

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Why the disguises can defeat simple checks

Familiar names do not establish legitimacy

The reported implants imitate filenames, process names, and PID-file conventions associated with legitimate products. A daemon-like name can therefore look routine in a process list while the executable is running from an unexpected location or has already been deleted from disk. Investigate the executable path and file state rather than relying on the displayed process name alone.

SMTP-like traffic is not necessarily mail delivery

The summary describes command traffic made to resemble SMTP, including AVERAT traffic that appears SMTP/STARTTLS-like on TCP port 25. Port 25 is used for legitimate mail delivery, so blocking it everywhere may disrupt service. The more useful question is which process and system initiated the connection and whether that host has a business need to send mail.

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  • 【Interfaces】The firewall pc has 4 * Intel 2.5GbE I226 lan ports, 2 * USB3.0 ports, 1 * VGA port, 1 * HD port, 1 * DC port. Equipped with VESA mount, you can install the micro pc behind the monitor to save space.
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Some behavior is specific to an implant family

The packet-trigger behavior belongs to the described BPFDoor samples, not automatically to Rekoobe or AVERAT. Likewise, the modular command set is attributed to AVERAT in the summary. Do not treat these traits as a universal checklist for all Linux backdoors or assume that an implant lacking one trait is benign.

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What defenders can check

Use these as investigation leads, not as a complete incident-response procedure. Validate indicators against current vendor reporting and preserve relevant logs and evidence under your organization’s incident-response process.

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  • ◆ Quad 2.5GbE LAN: Mini Router PC with 4 x i226-V network card chip full UDE2.5G with filter connector, 2.5x faster than common Gigabit Ethernet. Soft Router can monitor network data, improve network security, powerful and widely used.
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  • Review unexpected processes: investigate daemon-named processes running from unusual paths, especially if the executable resolves as deleted. Compare the process, executable path, parent process, and expected software inventory.
  • Look for raw packet access: investigate unexpected PF_PACKET raw sockets and classic BPF filters on systems that are not meant to perform packet capture or comparable network functions.
  • Attribute outbound SMTP: alert on outbound TCP port 25 connections from processes or systems that do not perform mail delivery. Restrict SMTP egress so only approved mail relays can use it, while preserving required mail flows.
  • Check reported paths and filenames: the summary lists /var/run/spamsniper.pid, /HDD/ms6x2xTo64/, /addpkg/sbin/update, /addpkg/sbin/agetty, and /var/lib/.db. Treat these as leads to validate, not a complete or permanent indicator set.
  • Review appliance exposure: segment mail-security appliances, restrict access to their management planes, and retire or isolate exposed end-of-life edge equipment. Investigate unexpected PPTP listeners as well.

What is known—and not established—about attribution

The summary characterizes a possible China-nexus connection as low confidence. It says the reported relay pattern is consistent with operational relay box networks discussed in a joint advisory, but does not confirm that the activity belongs to any named network. Infrastructure resemblance is not proof of attribution to a country, organization, or operator.

The available summary does not identify a CVE or other initial-access vulnerability. That absence does not show how the systems were compromised; it means the available account does not establish an entry method.

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