Dutch routers are used by hackers to generate cryptographic currency monero. Hundreds of routers would have been hacked. These are MikroTik brand routers, which have a vulnerability that has been known for months. A patch was released last April, but many have not yet installed it.
Today, RTL News reports this on the basis of its own research. Probably many routers that have been hacked are still used to generate monero. According to RTL, there are many people who did not update their device when the vulnerability was solved by MikroTik.
Full speed
For the user, there is little to notice about a hacked router. To generate cryptic currency, it runs at full speed. The router may then make a little more noise, or it may be slower than usual. The latter is often noticeable for users, although many do not know where the problem comes from.
RTL states that there have also been cases where computers connected to the routers have been hacked. The computers are also used to generate monero. This requires complex calculations, which requires a great deal of processor power. In addition to a slower device, it is ultimately also harmful for a processor to run constantly at high power.
The MikroTik routers are mainly used by companies, but there are also consumers who own them. Routers that have RouterOS 6.42 or lower are vulnerable. They are advised to update their device with the latest software as soon as possible. Another option is to reset the router to the factory settings. In any case, people should consider setting a stronger password.
This news article was automatically translated from Dutch to give Techzine.eu a head start. All news articles after September 1, 2019 are written in native English and NOT translated. All our background stories are written in native English as well. For more information read our launch article.
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