For The First Time, Hackers Have Used A Refrigerator To Attack Businesses

Business Insider ^ | January 17. 2014 | JULIE BORT

[MeshugeMikey]

Security researchers at Proofpoint have uncovered the very first wide-scale hack that involved television sets and at least one refrigerator.

Yes, a fridge.

This is being hailed as the first home appliance "botnet" and the first cyberattack from the Internet of Things.

[ealgeone]

guess moochelle’s looking to see what you’ve got in your frig!

[PapaBear3625]

Take a WiFi-enabled fridge, install malware, and as soon as it's delivered to its new (wealthy, in order to afford it) owner, you can do as you please with his home network, since you are already inside his firewall.

And all it takes is to have one of your people install some software at some point along the distribution chain.

Or even at its Chinese point of manufacturing...

[Red Badger]

Who didn’t see this coming? Soon, your toaster will be spying on you!...............

[dirtboy]

I wonder if the fridge came from Target?

[MeshugeMikey]

ahaha now there’s a conundrum.

do each of these appliances have thier own IP addresses?

[MeshugeMikey]

talk about desperation....

we have far exceeded the controls of a “1984”

now.... how to encrypt those frozen Chocolate Cream Pies?

[MeshugeMikey]

Bob? yes HI this I Mike...

Hey I just got an email from your Air Conditioner? Whats GOING On?

[MeshugeMikey]

ah...... yes.... the Chinese Connection

I hadnt come anywhere near to seeing that obvious..”angle’

[bigtoona]

It makes a great headline but in reality a WIFI enabled appliance is essentially a laptop attached to said appliance running some flavor of Linux in most cases. Its an excellent hack because most people would never suspect the fridge or toaster being used as an entry point into their home network. TV sets, printers, scanners, wifi thermostats can all be hacked and placed in the retail packaging for an unsuspecting consumer to bring home.

[ßuddaßudd]

Im guessing more likely a MAC address on the local lan , , ,

[publius911]

guess moochelle’s looking to see what you’ve got in your frig!

Yeah.
You better have a really stout lock on it!

Seriously I have always been enthused by automation and remote controls, but the trend to universal (phone type) access to devices in my home is never gonna happen.
This is an area of technology about which I am functionally ignorant, and I can't help wondering if my utilities smart meters can be hacked. Anyone know?

I don't relish the thought of being subject to having my electricity and gas hacked and turned off.

[null and void]

Keep your eye on the toaster....

TOASTER: Howdy doodly do! How's it going? I'm Talkie -- Talkie Toaster, your chirpy breakfast companion. Talkie's the name, toasting's the game. Anyone like any toast?
LISTER: Look, I don't want any toast, and he (indicating KRYTEN) doesn't want any toast. In fact, no one around here wants any toast. Not now, not ever. NO TOAST.
TOASTER: How 'bout a muffin?
LISTER: OR muffins! OR muffins! We don't LIKE muffins around here! We want no muffins, no toast, no teacakes, no buns, baps, baguettes or bagels, no croissants, no crumpets, no pancakes, no potato cakes and no hot-cross buns and DEFINITELY no smegging flapjacks!
TOASTER: Aah, so you're a waffle man!
LISTER: (to KRYTEN) See? You see what he's like? He winds me up, man. There's no reasoning with him.
KRYTEN: If you'll allow me, Sir, as one mechanical to another. He'll understand me. (Addressing the TOASTER as one would address an errant child) Now. Now, you listen here. You will not offer ANY grilled bread products to ANY member of the crew. If you do, you will be on the receiving end of a very large polo mallet.
TOASTER: Can I ask just one question?
KRYTEN: Of course.
TOASTER: Would anyone like any toast?
KRYTEN: Didn't you HEAR what I just said?
TOASTER: Yes, but I thought you might have changed your mind in the meantime.
LISTER: You see? You see what he's like?
KRYTEN: (Exasperated) We haven't changed our mind!
LISTER: NO TOAST!
TOASTER: But I am a toaster. It is my raison d'etre. I toast, therefore I am.

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don't add you to the list...

Red Dwarf Ping!

[null and void]

Who didn’t see this coming? Soon, your toaster will be spying on you!...............

Indeed...

[NWHawk]

bfl

[null and void]

I don't relish the thought of being subject to having my electricity and gas hacked and turned off.

Me neither.

Says the guy whose power went of at 3 AM...

[Lazamataz]

Looks like monitoring our calorie intake is next.

Bloomberg's got a chub.

[MeshugeMikey]

I would strongly suggest this appliance investigate aligning itself with the “Toaster Pride Movement”.

[Darksheare]

I SWEAR this isn’t my fault!

[Justa]

If the WiFi router is password protected the hacked refrigerator or other device cannot access it unless/until the homeowner brings it into his network via entering the password into the device’s interface. Until then the infected device is blind to the world.

So really it’s looking for unsecured access points. -Just like every other hacker out there.