Infoblox Unveils Vigorish Viper: Cybercrime and Illegal Gambling ExposedTop of Form

Infoblox Inc., a cloud networking and security company, has unveiled a major cybercrime syndicate known as Vigorish Viper. This Chinese criminal network exploits the $1.7 trillion illegal sports gambling economy and is linked to money laundering and human trafficking across Southeast Asia.

Vigorish Viper uses an advanced technology suite to operate a vast network of over 170,000 active domain names. Infoblox’s research reveals that the syndicate’s infrastructure includes sophisticated DNS CNAME traffic distribution systems, custom software, and encrypted communications. These technologies enable Vigorish Viper to evade detection and maintain resilience against cybersecurity measures.

The syndicate’s activities are connected to a sponsorship controversy involving several European football clubs, including teams from the English Premier League. Vigorish Viper has leveraged these high-profile sponsorships to promote illegal gambling sites targeted at bettors in Greater China. The organization is controlled by the Yabo Group, a notorious entity previously linked to human trafficking and large-scale cybercrime in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Renée Burton, Vice President of Infoblox Threat Intel, highlighted the significance of this discovery: “Vigorish Viper represents one of the most sophisticated threats we have uncovered. Our DNS-based research exposed their complex infrastructure and connections to organized crime, revealing how they use football sponsorships to further their illegal activities.”

The research underscores the scale of Vigorish Viper’s operations, with Greater China’s annual gambling expenditure estimated at nearly $850 billion, illustrating the extensive impact of the syndicate’s criminal activities.