Death Botnet

A new botnet known as Death has been observed infecting Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices manufactured by AVTech.

Threat ID:: CC-2552
Category:: Botnet
Threat Severity:: Low
Threat Vector:
Published:: 26 July 2018 12:00 AM

Report a cyber attack: call 0300 303 5222 or email [email protected]

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Summary

A new botnet known as Death has been observed infecting Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices manufactured by AVTech.

Threat details

Death is using a known exploit of fourteen vulnerabilities in AVTech's firmware to compromise their range of IP cameras and local & network video recorders (DVR/NVR). Once Death is installed on a device it is granted full permissions and begins scanning for other vulnerable devices using custom Shodan search.

The author of the malware, referred to as EliteLands online, has stated that the botnet was originally intended to be used for distributed denial-of-service attacks but is for now only using it to enrol new devices.

Remediation advice

To prevent and detect an infection, ensure that:

Remediation steps

Type	Step
	A robust program of education and awareness training is delivered to users to ensure they don’t open attachments or follow links within unsolicited emails. All operating systems, anti-virus and other security products are kept up-to-date. All day-to-day computer activities such as email and internet are performed using non-administrative accounts. Strong password policies are in place. Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity. User accounts accessed from affected devices should be reset on a clean computer. Your organisation adopts a holistic all-round approach to Cyber Security as advocated by the 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Type

Step

A robust program of education and awareness training is delivered to users to ensure they don’t open attachments or follow links within unsolicited emails.
All operating systems, anti-virus and other security products are kept up-to-date.
All day-to-day computer activities such as email and internet are performed using non-administrative accounts.
Strong password policies are in place.
Network, proxy and firewall logs should be monitored for suspicious activity.
User accounts accessed from affected devices should be reset on a clean computer.
Your organisation adopts a holistic all-round approach to Cyber Security as advocated by the 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Last edited: 17 February 2020 12:41 pm