New 'Chuck Norris' Botnet Hides in Your Router

Czech researchers have uncovered a botnet running on broadband routers and DSL adapters.

The research was the work of Jan Vykopal, head of the security project of Masaryk University, along with experts from the Brno Military Academy and the Defence Ministry. They said the main purpose of the botnet was to steal the usual sensitive data: bank accounts, e-mail inboxes, etc. Vykopal added that the botnet could be used for attacking other systems.

Botnets on devices like this are not new. Research on the threat goes back further; it was brought up in 2007 by researcher and big-game botnet hunter Gadi Evron.

This bot has been named "Chuck Norris" for a comment in the source code referring to the American actor, star of many action films and Walker, Texas Ranger on TV. Like "psyb0t" from a year ago, it attacks devices remotely, by guessing at default passwords and can infect devices based on MIPS chips running Linux. The botnet covers Europe and South America and reaches into China. In an e-mail interview with IDG's Bob McMillan, Vykopal said that the bot also exploits a known vulnerability in certain D-Link Systems devices.

:story: Full story: PC Magazine

Just like his Fist behind the beard!!

This is why I tell people all the time to take care of their router's password.
I set the routers at work with a crazy long pass-phrase. At home I use email address like passwords (they tend to be like 20 characters and are easy to remember)