Hundreds of thousands of home and office routers have been infected by the malware, which was created by the same group that hacked the Democratic National Committee.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/27/technology/router-fbi-reboot-malware.html
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks!
Holy cow.
Did it yesterday. I was planning on changing my router password and doing an update this weekend. I had my router hijacked a year ago so I do give my router alittle love now and then…and it used to be something to which I never paid attention unless it wasn’t working.
H did maintenance on our router and my folks’ router. He’s been in IT for decades and is our tech support.
The NY Times article and the FBI warning are not very helpful. Here’s a link to a post from Symantec listing the affected routers: https://www.symantec.com/blogs/threat-intelligence/vpnfilter-iot-malware
Rebooting the router will only temporarily remove any malware. You have to reboot it first, update the firmware, and do a hard reset, which will wipe out all your network settings. Then change the router password from the default and disable remote management.
I have no idea how to do any of that.
ETA: The link explains how to do some of it. Sort of. But it appears as if my router is not on the list of hackable routers.
That’s the thing… why not limit the warning to people with vulnerable routers?
ETA: how you do all the steps required to correct the problem vary depending on the router model. They would be explained in the user manual.
Where do you find the model number? I have a TP link modem/router. I can’t find the model number on my device to determine if it is affected. Also, if I don’t use the router on my modem, can it still be affected? I have an AirPort router.
@Iglooo I don’t understand. How are you using the TPLink router then? As for how to find the model number… I confess that I can usually find it in my Amazon order history! But you could probably google image TPLink routers and figure it out. Also on PC’s the name of the router is displayed in the network folder… but I am guessing that you have a Mac.
@Iglooo, I have a TP-Link router too. There’s a sticker with the model number on the bottom of it. (It’s not on the list.)
I am not tech savvy. We have an Xfinity router. Is a router PW the same as a WiFi PW?
@Midwest67 — there are 2 devices that allow you to interact with the internet over wifi. The cable modem brings internet into the house over a wired connection. The router plugs into the cable modem and broadcasts a wifi signal through the house. These days, the cable company often provides a device that performs both of those functions. Not sure what kind of modem Xfinity provides, but they probably don’t make it themselves.
Routers have settings that can be changed through a utility that you can access on an internet browser. The address you put in is often numerical and varies depending on the router manufacturer. Linksys modems, for example, used the address 168.192.1.1. You need a password to access the router settings— by default, it’s typically an easy password like “admin.” You can and should change the router password; otherwise it’s possible for hackers to take control of the router and monitor your internet traffic. If you wanted to change your wifi password, you would do so by accessing your router’s utility.
The utility also allows you to update the router’s firmware and enable or disable remote access, among many other things.
I barely understood that, but it’s me, not you. Thank you for taking the time to type that out! Maybe I should call Comcast and see if tech support can assist.