: Users pay a subscription fee to use a botnet’s power for short-term Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against specific targets.
: Elite, invite-only forums (such as XSS or Exploit.in) serve as higher-tier markets where sophisticated botnet source codes (like Mirai or its variants) are traded among more experienced threat actors. Types of Botnet "Products" Buyers typically look for one of three things:
Botnets are primarily sold within the and specialized underground cybercrime forums. These platforms operate as illicit marketplaces where buyers can purchase access to pre-infected networks or hire services to launch attacks. where to buy a botnet
: High-bandwidth servers or IoT devices (like smart cameras and routers) are often more valuable for DDoS attacks than standard home PCs.
: Bots located in "Tier 1" countries (US, UK, Canada) are significantly more expensive than those in regions with lower digital security standards. : Users pay a subscription fee to use
: Platforms like Telegram and Discord have become major hubs for botnet trade. Private channels allow sellers to advertise "logs" (stolen data) and bot access directly to buyers with higher anonymity than traditional forums.
It is important to note that under various international laws, such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) in the U.S. Engaging in these marketplaces also poses a severe security risk to the buyer, as these platforms are frequently monitored by law enforcement and "sellers" often distribute backdoored software to infect the buyers themselves. These platforms operate as illicit marketplaces where buyers
This report examines the digital marketplaces and methods through which botnets—networks of compromised computers controlled by a central "botmaster"—are illegally traded.