There is another IoT botnet running rampant, with several million devices already infected inside over a million businesses and homes, according to the report over at The Inquirer. Experts are expecting the IoT_reaper to be worse than Mirai once it is activated as it is far more sophisticated than that botnet. Some time in the near future you can expect serious issues as routers, IP cameras and fridges start launching DDoS attacks. There is little that you can do at this point apart from ensuring your devices are patched and the firmware is up to date. You can get an idea of the scope of this botnet by following the link in the story.
"Check Point first unearthed the botnet, codenamed 'IoT_reaper', at the beginning of September and claims that, since, it's already enslaved millions of IoT devices including routers and IP cameras from firms including GoAhead, D-Link, TP-Link, Avtech, Netgear, MikroTik, Linksys and Synology."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Google faces $10k-a-day fines if it defies court order to hand over folks' private overseas email @ The Register
- Ubuntu 17.10 launches welcoming back the laughing GNOME @ The Inquirer
- Sid Meier's Civilization III Free @ Humble Bundle
- CableLabs, Cisco working on LTE-over-DOCSIS @ The Register
- Reolink 5MP Security Camera Review @ OCC
how can you tell if your
how can you tell if your device is “infected”?
specifically, i’m wondering what to look for on our router and modem at home.
Not easily.
“On further
Not easily.
"On further inspection, the System.ini file (shown below) of the device at this IP was accessed to check for compromise. On a normal machine, this file would contain the credentials of the user. What was found on this device, however, was an edited version with a ‘Netcat’ command which opened a reverse shell to the attack’s IP."
Follow the link to the CheckPoint for a list of the devices they have seen attempting to infect their systems.
ah, I read the article you
ah, I read the article you linked, but didn’t click on the link within that article
linkception
ok, i’ll see myself out
All those IOT devices are
All those IOT devices are basically little servers with their open doors to the Internet and networking security is a complicated subject even for most experienced programmers.
It’s all these web based interfaces with their lack of a standardized methods and web based device security UI designs from hell that do not even present the slightest comprehensive methods of easily discovering what is on a network that needs locking down in the first place. The entire IOT devices Industry needs to adopt a standardized web based security UI design that everyone uses with network discovery features that can map out the entire devices open ports and let the users see what exactly needs locking down. If every web based networking management interface was required to be based on an agreed upon standard interface with a standardized security UI then maybe folks could all learn to manage their IOT devices.
Now the IOT devices industry as a whole is responsible for their hardware becoming pawned into the service of the nefarious botnets. And the lack of any standarized interfaces/UI(Web Based) that has as many different security setting UIs as there are different IOT devices and some Web Baased UIs do not even present all the settings in an orginized manner or the documentation necessary for anyone to properly manage the IOT devices on the users’ networks.
Proper documentation has gone completely to hell with no one, even the OS makers, taking the time to fully document the features that are programmed into PC/Phones/IOT/other devices. So until there are standardzed UI security control panel standards that force everyone to develop a standardized UI/interface that is the same across all networked devices then the botnets have the upper hand and no one will really know what doors that they have left open that need to be closed.
Most of the OSs that ship with PC/laptop/Phones/IOT devices lack the proper utilities with a standardized way of securing the network assets. And all of the OSs are network driven, as much as the entire internet is, so that’s a lost art of sorts without a standardized UI/Interface that everybody uses to set up these devices that are all servers if you look at the way their OS/APIs are designed and are integrated into the internet from PCs/laptops to toasters and lightbulbs. The whole OS/software/neworking management system needs to be standardized across OSs/Devices or it’s all one big lost cause against the botnets and such other nefarious activity the nanosecond you go online.
It’s still the wild Cambrian Explosion out there with all sorts of internet devices with their own mostly crappy Internet based management UIs that are all different and mostly undocumneted affaris that no one has taken the time to design properly. So the botnets are becomeing the top feeders of the food chain with every little IOT/other connected device an easy meal for the botnets to feast upon!
Good luck and try to not become some botnets meal but it’s not going to be easy going now, or maybe ever, if standards are not adopted and proper documentation is required before the devices are allowed to be sold.
P.S. It looks like ARM
P.S. It looks like ARM Holdings is thinking about IOT security as a standardized framework and open source firmware(1) that’s auditable firmware!
“Arm wants to put security into the heart of the design process by creating not only a framework, but a reference model for how to implement basic security practices when designing the next generation of IoT devices. Arm’s Platform Security Architecture (PSA) will be finding its way into Cortex-M processors, the type used in most IoT devices, and will have a number of design requirements and firmware to help reduce complexity and costs in building secure devices. The firmware specifications will also be open source. Devices built using Arm’s mbed OS will have these security features baked in going forward.” (1)
(1)
“Arm Creates Framework For Security As Standard In IoT Devices
Posted on October 23, 2017 1:00 PM by Jamie Fletcher”
https://techgage.com/news/arm-creates-framework-for-security-as-standard-in-iot-devices/