BCMUPnP_Hunter IoT Botnet

A new Internet-of-Things botnet known as UCMUPnP_Hunter has been observed targeting a variety of Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) routers.

Threat ID:: CC-2774
Category:: Botnet
Threat Severity:: Low
Threat Vector:: Insecure network
Published:: 8 November 2018 12:00 AM

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

This content has been archived

This article no longer conforms to NHS Digital's standards for cyber alerts, and may contain outdated or inaccurate information. Use of this information contained in this page is at your own risk

Summary

A new Internet-of-Things botnet known as UCMUPnP_Hunter has been observed targeting a variety of Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) routers.

Threat details

UCMUPnP_Hunter automatically scans the Internet for vulnerable Broadcom-based devices using previously infected routers. It will then use a combination of brute-force attacks and default credentials to gain access to these.

Once installed, UCMUPnP_Hunter will setup a proxy service before connecting to a command and control server. It will then start scanning for new devices to infect. Traffic is proxied to a number of email service provider domains, including Hotmail, Outlook and Yahoo! Mail, suggesting that the threat actor operating UCMUPnP_Hunter is attempting to abuse theses services for spam campaigns.

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 12:38 pm