TL;DR
A researcher identified routing anomalies involving Venezuela’s state telco that he suggested could indicate a pre-attack cyber operation. Cloudflare’s analysis attributes the behavior to a routine BGP route leak and sees no clear evidence tying it to a coordinated cyber strike.
What happened
A security researcher, Graham Helton, examined public routing data after comments from US leaders implying cyber capabilities were used in operations affecting Caracas. Using Cloudflare’s Radar service and RIPE NCC routing records, Helton highlighted unusual paths for prefixes belonging to AS8048 (CANTV), noting traffic traversals that included transit providers Sparkle and GlobeNet and suggesting those choices might enable a man-in-the-middle action. Cloudflare principal network engineer Bryton Herdes performed a deeper analysis and concluded the pattern Helton spotted is consistent with a BGP route leak — a common misrouting event that produces suboptimal, slow paths rather than a stealthy interception. Herdes argued the observed routing would be a poor approach for a covert intercept and pointed to multiple recent leaks involving AS8048, suggesting operator export policies and broader adoption of mitigations such as those in draft RFC 9234 would reduce such incidents. The specific technical means behind any blackouts or other actions remain unconfirmed in the source.
Why it matters
- BGP route leaks can create misleading signals that may be mistaken for deliberate cyber operations.
- Public routing telemetry is useful but requires expert interpretation before linking anomalies to hostile activity.
- Persistent BGP weaknesses mean network incidents can affect availability and attribution during geopolitical events.
- Adoption of routing best practices and standards could reduce occurrence and misinterpretation of such leaks.
Key facts
- Researcher Graham Helton reviewed Cloudflare Radar and RIPE NCC records and reported odd routing for AS8048 (CANTV) on January 2.
- Helton noted eight prefixes being routed through CANTV with Sparkle and GlobeNet appearing in the AS path.
- Sparkle has been described as not implementing optimal BGP security, according to Helton’s writeup.
- Helton suggested the routing choices might have allowed a man-in-the-middle surveillance possibility.
- Cloudflare engineer Bryton Herdes analyzed the same data and determined the event matched a BGP route leak.
- Herdes said route leaks are common, especially affecting South American networks, and cited recent leaks involving AS8048.
- Cloudflare stated the observed routing made for a poor method to execute a covert MITM, decreasing likelihood of deliberate interception.
- Herdes suggested CANTV may have permissive export policies and noted that adoption of RFC 9234 by vendors would help reduce leaks.
- The source does not confirm any technical link between the routing anomalies and the reported US actions in Venezuela.
What to watch next
- Monitoring for additional routing anomalies or new telemetry tying AS8048 or related networks to other leaks.
- Industry and vendor progress on implementing RFC 9234 and other BGP leak mitigations.
- Whether any independent investigation produces evidence linking routing anomalies to the reported US operations: not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- BGP: Border Gateway Protocol, the core internet protocol that systems use to exchange routing information between autonomous systems.
- Route leak: An event where a network advertises routing information it shouldn’t, causing traffic to take suboptimal or unintended paths.
- Autonomous System (AS): A collection of IP networks run by one or more network operators that presents a common routing policy to the internet.
- Man-in-the-middle (MITM): An interception technique where an attacker positions themselves between two communicating parties to observe or alter traffic.
- RFC 9234: A standards-track document proposing practices to reduce the impact of BGP route leaks; broader implementation aims to improve routing security.
Reader FAQ
Did Cloudflare confirm a cyberattack preceded the Venezuela operation?
No. Cloudflare’s analysis concluded the observed activity matched a common BGP route leak, not clear evidence of a cyberattack.
Did the routing anomaly enable a man-in-the-middle interception?
The researcher suggested it might; Cloudflare said the leaked route would be a poor method for a covert MITM and found no indication it served that purpose.
Was the US Cyber Command’s involvement in turning out Caracas’s lights verified here?
Not confirmed in the source.
Will routing standards fixes prevent similar incidents?
Cloudflare recommended adoption of mitigations such as those in RFC 9234 to reduce leaks, but broader implementation and effectiveness are ongoing matters.
NETWORKS Cloudflare pours cold water on ‘BGP weirdness preceded US attack on Venezuela’ theory Suggests rotten routing, not evidence of a cyber-strike before kinetic action Simon Sharwood Thu 8 Jan 2026 // 06:00 UTC…
Sources
- Cloudflare pours cold water on ‘BGP weirdness preceded US attack on Venezuela’ theory
- A closer look at a BGP anomaly in Venezuela
- There were BGP anomalies during the Venezuela blackout
- A Cyberattack Was Part of the US Assault on Venezuela
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