Chuck Norris Botnet Affects Linux Routers

Feb 23, 2010

Researchers at the University of Masaryk in Brno, Czech Republic, have detected a botnet that can hit Linux routers and DSL modems.

According to an article in the Prague Daily Monitor, researchers detected the trojan while working on securing the Czech national defense ministry, known as CYBER, against Internet attacks.

Head of the security project Jan Vykopal identified the suspect as a self-perpetuating trojan that first and foremost attacks Linux routers and DSL modems with weak usernames and passwords. The botnet was first detected in a D-Link device, Vykopal revealed in a PCWorld article. Next to MIPS-based Linux devices, the Chuck Norris botnet can also affect satellite TV receivers.

The botnet found its first martial arts moves from a server out of Italy, getting its name from a bit of source code with the line "in nome di Chuck Norris." It was immediately removed from the Net after its discovery and reporting. Since then, however, a number of copies have been identified worldwide. Infected devices are notably in Europe, South America and China, with the exact number not known.

The botnet's main objective is to gather passwords and access to Internet banking, online shops and related sites

Just Say No. The Chuck Norris botnet lives in the router's RAM, so a simple restart will remove it. The easiest way to avoid any further attacks through the Web interface is by using a strong password on the router or modem.

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