FBI seizes NightmareStresser DDoS-for-hire domains (Operation PowerOFF)
BleepingComputer (17 September 2026) reports the US FBI seized nightmare-stresser[.]com and nightmarestresser[.]org used by NightmareStresser, a long-running DDoS-for-hire (booter) service.
FBI Cyber Division said that since 2022 the service was used to launch hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks worldwide. Seizure banners cite Operation PowerOFF, the international law-enforcement effort against DDoS-as-a-service infrastructure. Historical context: Searchlight Cyber (2023) previously assessed ~566k registered users and up to ~200 Gbps multi-layer attacks; DOJ had seized nightmarestresser[.]com once before in December 2022 with related arrests. (source: BleepingComputer quoting FBI Cyber Division)
Correction (02 Nov 2026): removed The Hacker News as a source. (source: BleepingComputer)
- Product
- NightmareStresser (DDoS-for-hire / booter)
- Versions
- n/a (law-enforcement infrastructure seizure)
- Exploited in Australia?
- unknown
- Patch to
- Defenders: expect residual copycat booters; keep DDoS playbooks current; report booter solicitation; no product patch