Threat Intelligence

White-Label Routers Made in China Found With Built-In Backdoors

Dark Reading · 28 Aug 2026

Key Takeaway Ask your IT provider or vendor who actually manufactures your network hardware, and prioritise routers from vendors with transparent security track records and regular firmware updates.

A new report has revealed that routers made by Chinese manufacturer ZBT, which are sold globally as white-label products under many different brand names, contain several implants built directly into the devices by the manufacturer. Because these routers are rebranded and resold by numerous companies, it is difficult to know exactly how many devices and networks around the world are affected.

White-label hardware is common in the networking industry, with many small businesses unknowingly using equipment manufactured by a single overseas supplier but sold under a familiar local brand. When backdoors are built into the hardware itself rather than added through software updates, they can be much harder to detect and remove, potentially giving unauthorised parties persistent access to a business's network.

For Australian small businesses, this is a reminder that the brand name on a router doesn't always tell the full story of who actually built it or what security risks may be baked in. Businesses relying on unmanaged or budget networking equipment should check with vendors about the true manufacturing origin of their devices and stay alert for firmware updates or security advisories.

router security supply chain risk hardware backdoor network security SMB cybersecurity

Summarised by CISO AI from Dark Reading. We link back to every original so you can read it yourself.