Exploitation of Smart Home Devices in Russia

Hackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in Russian smart homes to create botnets, utilizing infected devices for cryptocurrency mining and launching DDoS attacks.

According to Russia’s state-controlled news agency TASS, a law enforcement agency reported on March 24 that cybercriminals are hijacking smart home devices to form botnets for mining cryptocurrencies and executing cyberattacks.

While the extent and duration of these attacks remain unclear, the agency indicated that hackers could also engage in surveillance activities. They could access footage from security cameras or collect data from devices like smart toothbrushes and temperature sensors to determine if homeowners are present. Specific details regarding the vulnerable devices or methods of attack were not disclosed.

In the past, bad actors have employed various techniques to hijack cryptocurrency. For instance, a 2022 report by crypto.news detailed a method where malware disguised within downloadable movie files specifically targeted torrent users. This malware executed a PowerShell command that injected malicious code into the Firefox browser, aimed at stealing Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) addresses by replacing them with the hacker’s wallet. The malware also mined cryptocurrency, manipulated Google results, and attempted to reroute donations meant for Wikipedia.

Read more: ‘Where there’s money, there will be hackers’: Ledger CEO