SSHStalker Botnet Uses IRC C2 to Control Linux Systems via Legacy Kernel Exploits
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February 11, 2026
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new botnet operation called SSHStalker that relies on the Internet Relay Chat (IRC) communication protocol for command-and-control (C2) purposes.
"The toolset blends stealth helpers with legacy-era Linux exploitation: Alongside log cleaners (utmp/wtmp/lastlog tampering) and rootkit-class artifacts, the actor keeps a large back-catalog of
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