Is Wi-Fi Router Spying On You? US Warns Of Russian Hack That Could Steal Your Data

Last Updated:April 15, 2026, 19:18 IST

FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the Cyber Division said the scale of the threat made passive warnings insufficient.

US security agencies are warning Americans that their home internet routers have become a primary target for Russian military intelligence hackers and most people have no idea their devices may already be compromised. The National Security Agency and the FBI urged users to reboot their routers and tighten basic security settings after a court-authorised operation dismantled a network of hijacked home and small-office devices linked to the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.

Read more: ‘Incompetent’: Trump Threatens To Fire Fed Chair Powell If He Does Not Step Aside Next Month

How Did Russian Hackers Get Into American Homes?

According to court filings, GRU-linked hackers exploited known software flaws in thousands of routers- including widely used TP-Link models- to manipulate Domain Name System settings. That allowed them to redirect internet traffic through malicious servers designed to harvest passwords, emails and authentication tokens, at times by mimicking legitimate services such as Microsoft Outlook Web Access.

The operation spanned more than 20 states and targeted government, military and critical infrastructure networks. Federal officials said the hijacked routers had been quietly used to intercept internet traffic across the United States and abroad. US Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said, “Russian military intelligence once again hijacked Americans’ hardware to commandeer critical data. In the face of continued aggression by our nation-state adversaries, the US government will respond just as aggressively."

Read more: A Secret Everyone Knows: Can Your Chats With ChatGPT And Claude Be Used Against You In Court?

What Did FBI Actually Do?

Rather than simply issuing alerts, the FBI said it took direct technical action. Agents remotely sent commands to compromised routers across the country to remove malicious settings, restore legitimate DNS resolvers and block further access by Russian actors. Officials stressed the operation did not collect users’ personal data or disrupt normal router performance.

FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the Cyber Division said the scale of the threat made passive warnings insufficient.

“Operation Masquerade demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to identifying, exposing, and disrupting the Russian government’s efforts to compromise American devices, steal sensitive information, and target critical infrastructure," he said, asserting,

Sounding the alarm wasn’t enough."

Why Are Home Routers So Easy to Hack?

The case has exposed a glaring and widespread security gap in American households. A 2025 router security survey by Broadband Genie found that 81 per cent of internet users have never changed their router administrator password and 84 per cent have never updated their router’s firmware.

Owing to this, the NSA and FBI are urging all router owners to take immediate steps. The agencies recommend rebooting devices weekly, updating firmware regularly, replacing unsupported older routers, disabling remote management features and disconnecting unused devices.

News world Is Wi-Fi Router Spying On You? US Warns Of Russian Hack That Could Steal Your Data

Read More