The Murdoc Botnet: Reinventing Mirai to Exploit IoT Vulnerabilities

In a new and ongoing large-scale cyber campaign, Qualys researchers have uncovered a variant of the infamous Mirai botnet called the Murdoc Botnet. This variant exploits vulnerabilities in widely used AVTECH Cameras and Huawei HG532 routers, allowing malicious actors to compromise devices and build vast botnet networks for additional malicious activities.

“The Mirai botnet was first publicly identified in late August 2016, and its effects are still felt today,” says Jason Soroko, Senior Fellow at Sectigo. “The threat actors have identified widespread entry points into enterprise and consumer networks, demonstrating that a single outdated or unpatched device can compromise an entire environment.”

This Murdoc Botnet variant has enhanced capabilities, amplifying its reach and efficiency in compromising devices.

Targeting Vulnerable Devices

The Murdoc Botnet campaign is a continuation of Mirai botnet activities, with notable use of ELF files and shell scripts to deploy malware on compromised devices.

The ...