Botnet on Routers

In what appears to be an interesting security first, a DNS blacklist organization has discovered a botnet that resides on about 100,000 Linux-based routers and DSL modems.

The ultimate problem, it seems, comes down to unpatched router firmware and default passwords. Botnets and most malware take advantage of users who fail to keep things up to date. The twist here, however, is that this code isn't targeting users who forgot to turn on Windows Update, but rather users who are not keeping their router firmware updated and those who don't change the default passwords on these devices.

I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Most users don't take basic security measures on their PCs. Why should we expect them to give a second thought to their routers? Still, the potential for malicious botnet activity from unsecured routers is probably quite substantial. Expect to see a lot more of it in the future.