Proxym: malware affecting iot devices

The Internet of Things continues to generate headlines and controversies. Everyone knows that their safety leaves a lot to be desired. And now malware arrives to make matters worse. This is ProxyM. A malware that affects these devices and adds functionalities to them.

ProxyM: Malware Affecting IoT Devices

The purpose of ProxyM is to distribute spam emails on a large scale. Also, keep in mind that IoT devices have Linux as their operating system. So users' desktops are likely to be affected.

How ProxyM Works

It is a malware designed to affect Linux based devices. It affects devices with x86, MIPS, MIPSEL, PowerPC, ARM, Superh, Motorola 68000 and SPARC architectures. This supposes almost the totality of devices IoT that there are in the houses. As for the threats that ProxyM supposes, they seem to be limited. And basically it is dedicated to distribute spam messages.

In fact, it is mentioned that up to 400 emails are sent per device, which shows the intensity of this attack. This figure has remained constant since it was discovered in February. In that time it has already managed to reach about 10, 000 devices. Although, it seems that the intensity is already decreasing in the last weeks. And fewer and fewer devices are affected by ProxyM.

To be protected, it is recommended to always have the device updated to guarantee maximum protection. It is also recommended to change the password. Since the less visible it is on the Internet, our device is better. Especially if there is any vulnerability in it.