Malware spotlight: Mirai

Introduction

If you ask any number of information security experts about emerging platforms you will hear many answers, but the Internet of Things, or IoT, will be one of the top responses. Attackers are well aware of this and have taken a page from conventional hacking to introduce a new kind of malware that bears similarities to botnet attacks but applied to the world of IoT. 

This malware is called Mirai and it takes advantage of the unique vulnerabilities of IoT to create a network of proxy computers, able to take down targets as small as an individual’s webcam or as large as an entire country’s internet. 

This article will detail what Mirai is and will explore how it works, some real-world examples of this malware, and what can be done to minimize the chances of Mirai impacting your IoT devices.

What is Mirai?

Mirai is a malware that was created by Protraf, a company offering distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) mitigation services, in what has been called a classic case of racketeering. Protraf co-founders Paras Jha, Josiah White and Dalton Norman were responsible for infecting potential clients with Mirai, after which Protraf would arrive like a white knight and offer their services to the victims.

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This malware enslaves IoT devices, including webcams, security cameras, digital video recorders, baby monitors, network routers, vehicles and other smart devices, turning them into an army of malicious zombie devices. The results can be devastating, even more so than traditional botnet attacks; coupled with the other unique characteristics of Mirai, it is clear to see that it stands apart as a new type of malware altogether. 

As more and more devices make the move to the realm of smart devices as experts predict, Mirai will become an even bigger threat.

Soon after Mirai (Read more...)