Posted on March 20, 2019 at 5:04 AM
Malware Attacks: Botnet Comes Back with Alarming Upgrades to DDoS Attack
Botnet malware is back and ready to strike as hacker upgrades it with new features to mask their activities.
Mirai malware is back again, and the hackers behind it have dangerous plans to attack unsuspecting devices with their upgrades. This malware is popular for carrying out some successful DDoS attacks in time past. The worst thing is that if the botnet infects your device, it can leave it vulnerable and open to manipulators. It is so deadly that thousands of devices under its attack can fall under the control of amateur hackers. In the internet of things, any compromise in one connected device can cause a breach across hundreds of thousands of things.
Instances of malware attack
Let’s recall an incident that happened some years back. Residents around the United Coast Area found themselves disconnected from the internet. This was after malware has attacked the Dyn’s DNS services. When the authorities caught the culprit, they discovered that the kid was only targeting the Minecraft servers. Although he took the fall for causing the blackout, the situation showed the effect of such an attack on devices.
One other notable attack which surprised the internet users occurred at the speed of 1.1 Tbits/s. This one was very powerful that it put the DDoS attacks then, to shame. It was fifty times deadlier than popular ones then. Three kids in the twenties were caught as the culprits. Well, they pleaded guilty of the crime and only got five years in probation detention. Then, they agreed that they created Mirai and few other botnets.
Yesterday, 18th of March, a “threat intelligence team” working at Palo Alto Networks, revealed their research on a Mirai version. Their research discovered that this malware is on a different level than the old ones. It comes with eleven new exploits and targets including “WePresent WiPG-1000 Wireless Presentation” systems and “LG Supersign TV.”
Reports of Unit 42 about Mirai Variant
From the unit’s report about the malware, the miscreants are targeting enterprises because the two devices are popular amongst businesses. Also, the Mirai variant comes with new exploits hidden in a multi-exploit battery and other new credentials to attack devices.
Unit 42 also stated that the attackers have big plans this time and that’s why they target enterprises. If they succeed, it will enable the malware to access larger bandwidth which can, in turn, increase its firepower.
Linux/IoT botnets are constantly upgrading their areas of attacks by adding many exploits which target devices. They also incorporate some default credentials.
The best option
Given the situation, both consumers and manufacturers of these devices have to be careful. They need to put measures in place to protect their IoT devices appliances they use at home. It will be very dangerous if the devices in the home fall under the control of botnets.
To further protect your devices, make sure that your smart devices such as refrigerators, TVs and others are up-to-date. Also, don’t forget to replace default passwords when you acquire a connected device.
