Iran alleges systematic sabotage of US-made networking infrastructure mid-conflict — hardware shut down and rebooted despite internet blackout

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Iran claims that the US is installing backdoors in networking infrastructure

Digital concept with the flag of Iran on a tech background
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  • Iran blames the US for a networking shutdown
  • Blame has been placed on pre-installed backdoors in US tech
  • Iran remains reliant on importing foreign tech

Iranian media has accused US tech companies and the US government of working together to install secret backdoors in networking infrastructure.

The claim comes after Iran reported coordinated shutdowns and outages across its networking hardware despite the government disconnecting the country from the internet.

If true, the backdoor would have to be activated remotely using some other medium, which Iran has suggested could involve a satellite network.

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Widespread network shutdown

Iran’s claims, shared by the Iranian Fars News Agency, allege that hardware made by firms such as Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, and MikroTik were subject to unexplained coordinated shutdowns and reboots, with the implication that the companies have installed secret backdoors on behalf of the US government.

This isn’t the first time such an accusation has been made. China has previously accused the US government of installing backdoors in chips and other tech likely to be imported into China. China has also previously accused the US government of plots involving pre-installed malware, and being behind multiple attacks launched by Volt Typhoon.

Iran's claims, though unsubstantiated, mirror those of China, with Chinese state media also widely sharing Iran’s theories. Iran has also suggested that some devices may have been involved in a botnet that led to the widespread outages.

Verifying such claims is difficult as Iran has maintained a near-total internet blackout since the outbreak of the conflict in late February. Internet access has been highly selective, with some outage trackers suggesting that the Iranian government only issues internet access to government officials and groups favorable to the regime.

Via The Register

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.

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