Hacked fridges sending 750,000 spam emails per day.

[Gecko]

I dont think I want a fride that sends emails, Well one day maybe if it ment it would recorder food that expires or uses the last egg or something

 

Original Content - BBC News

 

The fridge was one of 100,000 devices used as part of the spam attack

 

A fridge has been discovered sending out spam after a web attack managed to compromise smart gadgets.

The fridge was one of more than 100,000 devices used to take part in the spam campaign.

Uncovered by security firm Proofpoint the attack compromised computers, home routers, media PCs and smart TV sets.

The attack is believed to be one of the first to exploit the lax security on devices that are part of the "internet of things".

Poor protection

The spam attack took place between 23 December 2013 and 6 January this year, said Proofpoint in a statement. In total, it said, about 750,000 messages were sent as part of the junk mail campaign. The emails were routed through the compromised gadgets.

About 25% of the messages seen by Proofpoint researchers did not pass through laptops, desktops or smartphones, it said.

Instead, the malware managed to get itself installed on other smart devices such as kitchen appliances, the home media systems on which people store copied DVDs and web-connected televisions.

Many of these gadgets have computer processors onboard and act as a self-contained web server to handle communication and other sophisticated functions.

Investigation by Proofpoint into the internet addresses involved in the attack revealed the presence of the smart gadgets, said David Knight, general manager of Proofpoint's information security division.

"The results spoke for themselves when the addresses responded with explicit identification, including well-known, often graphically branded interfaces, file structures, and content," he told the BBC.

Mr Knight speculated that the malware that allowed spam to be sent from these devices was able to install itself because many of the gadgets were poorly configured or used default passwords that left them exposed.

He said attacks such as this would become much more routine as homes and furnishings got smarter and were put online.

[Tmh85]

Wow a fridge...

[FlamingDefibs]

HAS TECHNOLOGY GONE TOO FAR?

[Bloodyvalley]

Wait, what? A FRIDGE?

I don't even know what to say... or type...

[Kilerbomb]

Maybe it was from one of those kitchens that we hear so much about.

[brownninja97]

Its not really a fridge, its the NSA, wrap your fridges in tin foil.

[xXxYOLOxSWAGxXx_420BlazeIt]

 

Smart things are the future, or at least that's how it appeared to those of us who attended CES 2014. And, while we're excited about home automation and smart appliances, it turns out that those companies building the bits and pieces of the Internet of Things (IoT) need to beef up security. Proofpoint -- a security service vendor that routinely researches large-scale spam and phishing campaigns -- discovered that during the two-week period before CES, a global hacking campaign successfully targeted and manipulated more than 100,000 consumer gadgets, including smart appliances, routers and other devices, into sending out more than 750,000 malicious emails. Apparently, the attacks began on December 23rd and, while roughly three quarters of the emails were sent by traditional computers and mobile devices, more than 25 percent were doled out by gadgets from the IoT.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/17/internet-of-things-hacked-malicious-email-phishing/

[Kilerbomb]

Already posted: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/103589-fridge-sends-spam-emails-as-attack-hits-smart-gadgets/#entry1386161

[Guest GRRigger]

No wonder my toaster was running on full load the whole week...

[Kevin_Walter]

This is just the first step, you see.

 

First, it's spam emails. Then, the fridges will begin secretly altering temperatures, poisoning our food.

 

Then the trucks will start trying to kill us like in that movie Trucks...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhIR8DaeqWA

 

Then SkyNet will become self-aware and armageddon will be upon us. You just watch. It's coming, man...

[Patrickkd]

This is just the first step, you see.

 

First, it's spam emails. Then, the fridges will begin secretly altering temperatures, poisoning our food.

 

Then the trucks will start trying to kill us like in that movie Trucks...

 

 

Then SkyNet will become self-aware and armageddon will be upon us. You just watch. It's coming, man...

I now really want to watch that movie because F***k Yer Trucks!

[Kevin_Walter]

I now really want to watch that movie because F***k Yer Trucks!

 

lol you've never seen it? It's hilariously ridiculous.

 

Stephen King is a great author when he wants to be... The Dark Tower, Misery, The Green Mile... but MAN, he's written some shitty stories, too.

 

I saw Trucks when I was about 10 years old. It was hilarious.

[Nineshadow]

Well,someone should make tin foil frigdes now.

[NeCrOmAnCiN]

750,000 malicious emails traced back to hacked home appliances

 

 California security firm Proofpoint has announced their findings that a large botnet which sent over 750,000 malicious emails originated from the unlikeliest place imaginable: Home appliances, including televisions, routers and even refrigerators. According to a press release issued by the security firm, hackers managed to infiltrate over 100,000 "smart" appliances which have the ability to connect to the internet, in order to send out spam emails en masse. The incidents, which occurred between late December and early January, saw "waves of malicious email, typically sent in bursts of 100,000, three times per day, targeting enterprises and individuals worldwide". The attack is one of the first of its kind, and makes good use of the various security flaws typically seen in these home appliances.

 

 Proofpoint stated that the attack has "significant security implications for device owners", and that in the future, concerns may grow, in part due to the exponential growth of smart appliances. Thus far, device manufacturers have neglected to implement any major safety features, and consumers have no way to diagnose these infections if they do occur. With this in mind, the company called on manufacturers to take steps to mitigate the threat, saying that "preparations must be made for the inevitable increase in highly distributed attacks, phish in employee inboxes, and clicks on malicious links."

 

 

 

http://www.guru3d.com/news_story/750000_malicious_emails_traced_back_to_hacked_home_appliances.html

[BRiteBak]

Genius!

 

I'm all for this type of thing if it exposes security issues

[NeCrOmAnCiN]

Skynet will be here soon!

[Grave]

Aww, I thought you were one of the victims.

[joelthezombie15]

Aww, I thought you were one of the victims.

i know right? I was excited but now im disappointed and a little peeved. 

[Kilerbomb]

Repost. http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/103913-hacked-fridges-sending-750000-spam-emails-per-day/

[UnderADyingSun]

This doll represents you, now can you show us where exactly the bad home appliance touched you?

 

Did he do something like this ( I cup the dolls ass and start rubbing the fore area )

 

Or perhaps something like this ( the doll is mounted and dry humped )