Ifwatch | New malware forces users to change their default Wi-Fi password
Ifwatch, a custom-built malware software, changed the Wi-Fi passwords on nearly 10,000 routers to make them more secure. According to researchers at cybersecurity Symantec, the software is essentially used to protect the machine from hackers and provide solutions to other potential malware infections.
"We have not observed any malicious activity at this time," said Val Saengphaibul, a threat intelligence officer at Symantec. "However, according to the law, this is considered and is an illegal activity. It is essentially accessing computers on a network without the user's permission."
The Ifwatch software infects routers with a mysterious piece of "malware" via Telnet ports, which are often protected by default security credentials that could be easily accessible for malicious attacks, and then asks users to change their Telnet passwords.
The software is spreading rapidly around the world, but is currently found primarily in China and Brazil. It was first discovered by an independent researcher in 2014.
“We have no idea who or what is behind this – nor what his/her real intention is,” Saengphaibul said.
