Security News > 2020 > April > LED Light Control Console Abused to Spew Malware
Even seemingly insignificant Internet of Things devices such as LED light control consoles can be abused to launch malicious attacks, Microsoft's security researchers warn.
Proof of that comes from an incident uncovered in Taiwan, where such a device was used to spew malware as part of an operation that leveraged a botnet of IoT products to distribute malware and ransomware, send phishing emails, and launch distributed denial-of-service attacks.
"One particular IP was associated with dozens of activities related to the distribution of malware, phishing emails, ransomware, and DDoS attacks," Microsoft says.
Microsoft alerted Taiwan's Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, which was able to identify the illegal VPN IP, along with hidden accounts that were leveraging the VPN to send malware attacks from inside an office building in rural northern Taiwan.
The source of the attacks, an LED light control console, was shut down to prevent the spreading of malware.