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. Primary wire: BleepingComputer quoting FBI Cyber Division / PowerOFF seizure banner (FBI press index 403 from this pass; no separate DoJ HTML confirmed).
- 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
Primary: BleepingComputer — FBI seizes NightmareStresser (17 Sep 2026) · THN — NightmareStresser domain seizures (17 Sep 2026)