Security researchers at VulnCheck disclosed on August 28, 2026, multiple undocumented factory-installed surveillance implants in firmware for ZBT routers manufactured by Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics, potentially allowing unauthenticated root access to devices sold worldwide.
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VulnCheck disclosed two previously undocumented factory implants in firmware for routers built by Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics, or ZBT, and said each could let an unauthenticated remote attacker run commands as root on affected devices [thehackernews.com#1][pcmag.com#1]. The implants, named SPEAKINGSTONE and DARKLANTERN, carry CVE-2026-74232 and CVE-2026-74233. VulnCheck rated each 9.8 under CVS
Security researchers at Vulncheck discovered intentionally masked surveillance implants embedded in the firmware of numerous devices from Shenzhen Zhibotong Electronics.