Zombie Zero
Zombie Zero is a cyberattack where malware was secretly embedded in new barcode readers made overseas. It isn’t clear who did it—perhaps criminals or a nation-state—and the malware was designed to be hidden inside the scanner’s hardware. IoT devices like barcode readers could be preinstalled with malware that steals passwords and opens backdoors.
The infected scanner joined a wireless network and automatically attacked the internal network using the SMB protocol. Stolen data about items, destinations, and origins was secretly sent to a command-and-control server linked to a Chinese botnet. That botnet connected to Lanxiang Vocational School in Shandong, an institution previously tied to other major attacks; the scanner maker was nearby. The botnet downloaded a second payload to reach the target company’s financial servers, giving attackers access to global shipping data and customers’ financial information.
Zombie Zero can be detected with deception technology.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:42 (CET).