Cyber attack struck down Talk Talk and Post Office routers Asylum rwxr-xr-x 0 5:28 PM

Filename	Cyber attack struck down Talk Talk and Post Office routers
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Thousands of Talk Talk and Post Office customers were hit by a cyber attack in the U.K. when the internet access was struck targeting certain types of internet routers.

The assault had used the same malicious software, “Mirai worm” that took some of the world's most popular websites offline in October and this time it began on November 27 affecting about 100,000 of its customers.

Talk Talk confirmed the attack and said that it was working on a fix. However, it did not tell how many of its broadband subscribers were hit but confirmed that a minority were affected on Thursday (December 01) as well. Both companies are working on a fix.

The hack had recently caused major disruptions to the internet, TV and phone networks through Germany’s Deutsche Telekom, leaving 900,000 of its customers affected.

This hack works by exploiting a weakness in customer routers with malicious viruses able to get through unsecured ports. It involves the use of a modified form of the Mirai worm - a type of malware that spreads via hijacked computers, which causes damage to equipment powered by Linux-based operating systems.

Several models of router are vulnerable to the latest cyber-assault, including the Zyxel AMG1302, which is used by the Post Office.

Due to the attack, the routers were unable to provide connections to their customers.

Customers from both Talk Talk and the Post Office complained the companies had done little to inform them of the problems.

It is not yet known who is responsible for the attack, but it is similar in kind to that of the Dyn domain name server, which resulted in dozens of websites including Twitter, Reddit and eBay being taken offline for hours in October. Mirai was involved in the October attack too. Cyber criminals exploited vulnerabilities in internet connected cameras and video recorders to take control of them and launch a distributed denial of service attack.

Though, no personal data is compromised in such attacks, which affect the infrastructure of websites and computer servers still if you have been affected by the hack, the best course of action is to reboot your router. From there, users should create a new password for the device.

via E Hacking News - Latest Hacker News and IT Security News Cyber attack struck down Talk Talk and Post Office routers http://ift.tt/2gTxsJ1