Router flaw allowed DNS attack on 4.5 million routers
2012-10-02 09:20 by Daniela
Tags: router, security, DNS
Millions of DSL broadband routers in Brazil were hit by a serious software flaw that allowed criminals to gain complete control of all web traffic running through them. The flaw was a Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) affecting six different and aging broadband router brands handed out by large ISPs in the country. "This is the description of an attack happening in Brazil since 2011 using 1 firmware vulnerability, 2 malicious scripts and 40 malicious DNS servers, which affected 6 hardware manufacturers, resulting in millions of Brazilian internet users falling victim to a sustained and silent mass attack on DSL modems," said Kaspersky Lab Expert Fabio Assoliniin a blog post published on Monday morning. "This enabled the attack to reach network devices belonging to millions of individual and business users, spreading malware and engineering malicious redirects over the course of several months." "Some manufacturers neglect to act even after being alerted to these problems. This leaves users exposed to attacks as companies are slow to release the necessary firmware upgrades to solve the problem," said Assolini in a blog that summarised the attack. It is not clear yet which modem manufacturers and models are affected by the attacks. Most probably, the flaw is caused by a chipset driver included with modems that use hardware from communications chip provider Broadcom. Read more -here-
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