Tech
Hackers infect 5m routers in 54 countries with malware
More than half a million routers and network devices in 54 countries have been infected with a sophisticated malware, researchers from Cisco’s Talos Group warn.
The malware, which the security researchers are calling VPNFilter, is able to steal logins and passwords, monitors industrial controls, and contains a killswitch for routers.
An attack would have the potential to cut off internet access for more than 500,000 people around the world, William Largent, a researcher with Talos Group, wrote in a blog post.
Read also: Group takes Google to court over illegal collection of data
Attacks on routers hit a sensitive hub for potential victims, as the devices provide online access, as well as passwords and web traffic data.
In April, US and UK officials warned about Russian hackers targeting millions of routers around the world, with plans to carry out massive attacks leveraging the devices. During that announcement, the FBI called routers a “tremendous weapon in the hands of an adversary.”
The Talos Group warns that VPNFilter could be used in a future attack on Ukraine. The researchers said the new malware shares many of the same codes used in known Russian cyberattacks, and called the attack “likely state-sponsored.”
VPNFilter has also infected routers in Ukraine at an “alarming rate,” with a spike in infections in the Eastern European country on May 8 and May 17.
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