Vermelho IoT Botnet

Vermelho is a newly observed Mirai botnet variant that uses an expanded list of default credentials and exploits to infect devices.

Threat ID:: CC-2712
Category:
Threat Severity:: Low
Threat Vector:
Published:: 8 October 2018 12:00 AM

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Summary

Vermelho is a newly observed Mirai botnet variant that uses an expanded list of default credentials and exploits to infect devices.

Threat details

Similar to most Mirai variant malware, Vermelho uses a hard-coded list of default credentials to gain access to target devices. It will also use exploits for nine vulnerabilities in several Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to gain access where possible.

Once installed, Vermelho will connect to a command and control server before scanning for new devices to infect. At the time of publication, it appears that Vermelho is not being used for malicious activity. It is likely that the threat actors behind the botnet are attempting to recruit more devices before beginning any operations.

Remediation advice

By default, many IoT devices use insecure protocols or weak credentials. To avoid such devices becoming part of an IoT botnet, organisations should:

Remediation steps

Type	Step
	Review the network security of IoT devices on their estate. Ensure all IoT devices on the estate are not using default credentials. Additionally, to prevent and detect an infection, ensure that: 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. Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate. 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

Review the network security of IoT devices on their estate.
Ensure all IoT devices on the estate are not using default credentials.

Additionally, to prevent and detect an infection, ensure that:

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.
Regular anti-virus and security scans are performed on your organisation’s estate.
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 12:56 pm