A so-called Chuck Norris botnet discovered by Czech researchers is spreading among poorly configured routers and DSL modems.
Computerworld reports that Czech researchers have uncovered a botnet that is spreading from one poorly configured router to the next. Jan Vykopal, the head of the network security department with Masaryk University's Institute of Computer Science in Brno, Czech Republic, told Computerworld on Friday that the botnet installs itself on your router's RAM by guessing default administrative passwords and taking advantage of the fact that many devices are configured to allow remote access. It also exploits a known vulnerability in D-Link Systems device.
Vykopal claims he has evidence that the hacked machines are spread around the world, from South America through Europe to Asia, and that the botnet aims at many networks of ISP and telco operators. The Chuck Norris botnet can be used to attack other systems on the internet (via a DDoS attack). It can also launch a password-guessing dictionary attack on another computer as well as change your routers DNS settings. Because the Chuck Norris botnet lives in the router's RAM, it can be removed with a restart.
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