OT? Linux-based trojans now targeting WRT and other linux-based routers

Charles Jones charles.jones at ciscolearning.org
Fri Mar 27 14:19:05 MST 2009


http://www.linux-magazine.com/online/news/psyb0t_attacks_linux_routers_update

Some parts of this article made me LOL. Like:

"One type of malware connects primarily to a chat system such as IRC, 
which your ordinary 14-year-old might join for the latest superstar gossip."

and:

"Each IRC network usually has hundreds of these channels, typically 
starting with a hash mark in its name, such as #superstars."

and:

"A participant joining a channel who is not a human is usually a program 
called a bot. There are all kinds of bots lurking in the IRC, some of 
them explain UNIX commands, look up bus schedules or forecast the 
weather. Some, however, await special, often secret, commands"

Which prompted me to say on IRC:
[03-27-2009 14:11:10] <Charles> hahaha
[03-27-2009 14:12:54] * Charles is awaiting special secret commands
[03-27-2009 14:13:28] <Charles> but only if you are a superstar

Seriously though, I sadly have a lot of experience being attacked by, 
and hunting down and eradicating botnets. Infected routers are really 
evil, since your typical user has no way to notice or see that something 
is running that should not be. This could become a real problem as WRT 
and other linux-based routers become more popular.


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