● Covered by 3 sources · 3 reportsMedium impact3 neutral
U.S. Seizes NightmareStresser Domains, Disrupting DDoS-for-Hire Service
Key points
- U.S. DoJ and FBI seized NightmareStresser domains.
- NightmareStresser was a DDoS-for-hire service.
- Used for hundreds of thousands of attacks since 2022.
- Action supported by international Operation PowerOFF.
- Targeted sectors included education, government, gaming.
- NightmareStresser domains nightmare-stresser.com and nightmarestresser.org were seized.
- NightmareStresser had nearly 1 million users by 2025.
- NightmareStresser could launch 3,000 to 4,000 attacks per hour.
- NightmareStresser accepted cryptocurrency payments.
- NightmareStresser avoided hospital domains.
Domains Seized in International Operation
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the court-authorized seizure of the internet domains nightmare-stresser[.]com and nightmarestresser[.]org. These domains were associated with NightmareStresser, a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)-for-hire service.
The seizure was executed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Anchorage Field Office, in accordance with a warrant issued by the United States District Court for the District of Alaska. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) also participated in this joint international law enforcement operation.
Disruption of a Long-Running Service
NightmareStresser was identified as one of the longest-running DDoS platforms, offering "booter services" that allowed users to rent botnets to launch DDoS attacks. The service described itself as the "#1 online IP booter" and "the only DDoS tool available 24/7."
Cybersecurity firm Searchlight Cyber reported in 2023 that NightmareStresser had over 566,000 registered users and 52 dedicated servers capable of launching attacks up to 200 Gbps, targeting multiple network layers.
Impact on Global DDoS Attacks
Since 2022, the NightmareStresser service was used to launch hundreds of thousands of actual or attempted DDoS attacks against victims worldwide. These attacks targeted a broad range of sectors, including educational institutions, government agencies, and gaming platforms.
The FBI Cyber Division stated that this enforcement action was supported by Operation PowerOFF, a coordinated international effort aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS infrastructures.
Legal Basis for Seizure
Visitors to the seized domains now see a banner indicating the seizure by the FBI. The legal basis for the seizure includes 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(a)(1)(A) and (b), 982(b)(1), and 1030(i)(1)(A); and 21 U.S.C. § 853.
Updates
- NightmareStresser domains nightmare-stresser.com and nightmarestresser.org were seized.
- NightmareStresser had nearly 1 million users by 2025.
- NightmareStresser could launch 3,000 to 4,000 attacks per hour.
- NightmareStresser accepted cryptocurrency payments.
- NightmareStresser avoided hospital domains.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Primary sources
GitHub Alex-Carter-Cybersecurity/ddos-research-2025How outlets covered it
The FBI, as part of Operation PowerOFF, seized the internet domains of NightmareStresser, a long-running DDoS-for-hire service. This action disrupts a service that launched hundreds of thousands of DDoS attacks and had nearly 1 million users by 2025, reducing the availability of tools for cybercriminals.
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized the domains of NightmareStresser, a long-running distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) platform that offered DDoS-for-hire services. This action is part of Operation PowerOFF, an international law enforcement effort to dismantle criminal DDoS infrastructures, and impacts the availability of a service used for hundreds of thousands of attacks.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced the seizure of internet domains associated with NightmareStresser, a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)-for-hire service. This action disrupts a platform used to launch hundreds of thousands of DDoS attacks against various targets globally since 2022, impacting internet services and connections.