Telnet credentials of more than 515,000 devices that include IoT smart gadgets, routers and servers are leaked in an online forum. ZDNet reported that the hacker has published this resource as an up-gradation of his service to renting high output servers that are based on cloud service providers.
Over Half-a-million Telnet Credentials
The list has contained IP addresses, usernames and passwords of more than 515,000 devices are being dumped on a popular hacking forum. All the credentials of those devices belong to their Telnet ports.
Telnet is a communication service protocol that helps the user to control a remote device over the IP/TCP network. Further study revealed that devices on the list are located all over the world. And while few of them are based on home networks, most of them are based on reputed cloud service providers.
Upgradation of service!
The hacker who disclosed this database was contacted by ZDNet and revealed that he was previously just a maintainer of DDoS service for hire. And now considered upgrading his service to renting such hacked high-output servers. This could be lucrative enough as rentals of such reputed cloud-based servers, though hacked, can be used by someone at cheap.
The password contained list is dated to be last year’s October-November, and some of the devices could’ve updated their IP addresses or passwords now. Yet, it’s useful for a skilled hacker to exploit in numerous ways. A hacker can find out the ISP of those IP addresses (even at that time) and scan the ISP’s network to find out the newly allocated IP addresses.
This will be followed by the old procedure of trying the default username/password or guessing the commonly set ones. An easily crackable password is never encouraged. Using sites like HaveIbeenPwned could help you realise whether your online password is compromised or not. If not, using tough passwords as a combination of numbers, alphabets and typical characters could save you further.
