Hundreds of thousands of customers of UK telephone provider TalkTalk and the Post Office are without access to the internet after crippling cyberattacks caused by the Mirai malware, a strain that experts point as the cause behind the massive DDoS attack targeting DNS provider Dyn in October this year.
Linux-based routers are once again the target of cyberattacks that has left hundreds of thousands of British citizens without access to the internet. The Post Office has reportedly said that 100,000 customers had been affected since November 27. Although TalkTalk did not reveal any numbers, it did reveal that minority of its 4 million(+) customers were affected as of December 1.
Specifically, the affected routers are the following models: a D-Link DSL-3780 and a Zyxel AMG1302, the latter used by the Post Office.
A spokeswoman for the Post Office moved to assure customers that personal details remain safe, noting:
We would like to reassure customers that no personal data or devices have been compromised. We have identified the source of the problem and implemented a resolution which is currently being rolled out to all customers.
A quick fix, the spokeswoman said, would be to reboot routers which would see customers update their routers’ software automatically, as reported by the BBC.
The Zyxel router is also used by a regional internet service provider called Kcom, based out of Hull in England. Following a significant disruption, the firm revealed that a “vast majority” of its customers were now connected to the internet once again.
Meanwhile, the D-Link routers, used by TalkTalk customers have also been patched.
The Mirai malware, so often the ring-leader bringing together hundreds of thousands of connected devices to form swarming botnets, could soon be targeting other household appliances, according to one researcher from cybersecurity firm Avast.
He stated:
The next step for attackers could be to hack into other home devices once they gain access to the router, like web cams, smart TVs, or thermostats.
The disruptions in the United Kingdom come within days of reports of nearly a million Germans knocked offline due to the malware.
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