FBI warns of counterfeit Cisco routers

An unclassified Powerpoint presentation, made by the FBI, contains details about potential security risks, related to counterfeit network equipment. Cisco branded routers and switches, imported from China, have been identified as low-quality and possibly dangerous imitations of original products.

The fake hardware has been implicated in a number of incidents over the past several years. Duplicate MAC addresses have shut down networks, and poor quality caused fires and electrical faults. Given the wide spread usage of Cisco gear in critical government and enterprise systems, it is not difficult to see why the FBI considers the problem a serious one. Apparently, there is also suspicion of more insidious security threats hidden in the fake equipment.

The following Cisco models have known counterfeit copies: routers from the 1000 and 2000 series, WS-C2950-24 and WS-X4418-GB switches, as well as some wireless and LAN cards. All slides from the presentation are available here.

Different organizations and individuals acquired the counterfeit equipment as part of government purchases, as direct commercial imports from China, and in some cases, over eBay. FBI estimated that the market for counterfeit equipment is about $100 billion per year, or 10% of all IT product purchases.