How Hackers Exploit BGP Hijacking for Surveillance and Internet Control

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Governments, corporations, and cybercriminals can silently hijack internet traffic using Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) vulnerabilities—no zero-days required. BGP hijacking reroutes traffic through malicious nodes, enabling surveillance, data interception, or man-in-the-middle attacks.

Reference: BGP Hijacking Explained

You Should Know: Detecting and Preventing BGP Hijacking

1. Monitor BGP Routes

Use tools like BGPStream or RIPE Stat to detect anomalous route changes:

 Install bgpstream (Linux) 
sudo apt-get install bgpstream

Fetch real-time BGP updates 
bgpread -t updates -c route-views2

Check route origins via RIPE 
curl https://stat.ripe.net/data/announced-prefixes/data.json?resource=AS12345

2. Implement RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure)

RPKI cryptographically validates BGP route origins. Enable it on routers:

 Cisco IOS example 
configure terminal 
router bgp 65000 
rpki server tcp://rpki.example.com:323 
exit
  1. Use MANRS (Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security)
    Join the MANRS initiative to adopt anti-hijacking best practices.

4. Detect Hijacks with Python

import pybgpstream 
stream = pybgpstream.BGPStream(project="routeviews") 
for elem in stream: 
if "as_path" in elem.fields and "666" in elem.fields["as_path"]: 
print(f"Hijack alert: {elem.fields['prefix']} via AS666")

5. Block Suspicious AS Paths with BIRD

filter bgp_in { 
if (bgp_path.last = 666) then reject;  Block malicious AS 
}

What Undercode Say

BGP hijacking remains a critical threat due to the internet’s reliance on trust-based routing. Defenders must:
– Validate routes (RPKI, IRR).
– Monitor continuously (BGPStream, RIPE).
– Adopt MANRS compliance.
– Automate hijack detection (Python, GoBGP).

Expected Output:

Hijack alert: 192.0.2.0/24 via AS666 
RPKI validation failed for AS12345

Prediction

BGP hijacking will escalate as geopolitical cyber conflicts grow, pushing adoption of BGPsec and decentralized routing alternatives like SCION.

Expected Output:

2026: 40% of Tier-1 ISPs adopt BGPsec.

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Sam Bent – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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