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The Internet of Things (IoT) is facing a new threat: zombie devices. These are countless, and it's impossible to eliminate them all in the short term. They pose a serious risk to the security of your systems. Therefore, it's crucial to take action now to protect your equipment from being compromised.
In our previous blog post, "IoT Zombies Devour the Internet," we discussed recent large-scale DDoS attacks where IoT devices were used as bots or zombies. Shortly after the post was published, someone claiming to be the author of the malware released the source code for the attack software. This malware, called Mirai, is a Trojan virus that infects IoT devices and launches DDoS attacks on major websites. The scale of the infection is alarming. Malware Tech estimates that 120,000 devices were infected, while Level 3 claims the number reached 1.5 million. This was just one of many examples.
These viruses are persistent. Once they infect a device, they can remain active indefinitely. To better understand how Mirai spreads, it's helpful to think about it like a virus in medical virology. Infection graphs can illustrate how an infected device seeks out other vulnerable ones, spreading the malware across networks.
Once a device is infected, it uses a fake certificate to scan for devices with open Telnet ports. When it finds one, it implants the virus, turning it into another potential host. This cycle continues, creating a chain reaction of infections. Some devices can be repaired or secured, but many cannot, making them permanent threats.
Even if a device is cleaned, it can still be reinfected by other infected devices. As more devices become permanently infected, the risk of future attacks remains high. So, can we stop the Mirai virus? Yes, there are ways to limit its impact.
First, repairing all devices is ideal, but not realistic. Most users don’t even know their devices are infected, let alone have the skills or desire to fix them. Another approach is to block the command-and-control servers. Mirai requires these servers to communicate and spread. If they’re blocked, the virus’s reach is significantly reduced.
Protecting the targets of attacks is also key. For example, krebsonsecurity.com had to switch hosting providers after a massive DDoS attack. While such measures help, it's not feasible to clean up all infected devices. The reality is that we won’t fully eliminate the threat.
Looking ahead, Mirai isn’t the end of the story. Its source code has been released, which means others will build upon it. Future malware may not rely on command servers at all, making detection and removal even harder. And while Mirai currently focuses on DDoS attacks, it could evolve to target other systems on the same network.
To survive this threat, IoT devices need immunity. Quarantining infected devices is one step, but as networks grow and new devices emerge, new vulnerabilities will follow. The only long-term solution is to make devices secure from the start.
The first step in immunization is to eliminate known infection vectors. This includes disabling unnecessary services like Telnet, removing default credentials, using strong passwords, and blocking unauthorized connections. But in the long run, we need to prevent vulnerabilities that adaptive malware can exploit. Tools like CWE/SANS Top 25 can help identify and fix critical flaws.
Wind River offers a comprehensive suite of security solutions designed to protect IoT devices at multiple levels:
- Secure boot and initialization to prevent malicious code execution
- Encryption of static data to protect sensitive information
- Two-way authentication to block unauthorized access
- Communication encryption to safeguard data in transit
- OS enhancements to prevent privilege escalation
- Firewall to block unexpected external access
- Security updates require authorization to prevent tampering
By integrating these protections, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of IoT-based cyberattacks. It's time to act before the next wave of threats hits.