NightmareStresser domains seized after thousands of DDoS attacks

US law enforcement agencies have seized two internet domains associated with Nightmare Stresser, a DDoS-for-hire service linked to hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted attacks worldwide since 2022, according to the US Department of Justice (DoJ).

TechRadar reports that the domains, nightmare-stresser[.]com and nightmarestresser[.]org, now display an FBI banner saying the websites were seized in a coordinated action against illegal DDoS-for-hire services.

DDoS-for-hire services, also known as booters or stressers, are often presented as tools for legitimate website stress testing. Researchers have repeatedly warned that they can also enable illegal attacks that take businesses, public organizations, and individuals offline.

The DoJ announcement does not say that Nightmare Stresser’s underlying infrastructure was dismantled, that its malware was discovered or sinkholed, or that any arrests were made. It also does not establish how long the service may remain disrupted.

The seizure is part of Operation PowerOFF, an international campaign targeting DDoS-for-hire infrastructure and seeking accountability for administrators and users. The DoJ says the campaign has so far seized more than 100 domains and led to charges against 12 people.