Re: Talking of worms and viruses...

[Richard Tobin]

In article <4u7ghchdkaoup2am7...@4ax.com>,
Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

>Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or
>whatever, and if so, how can they be protected, or if you do get
>infected, how can they be cleaned out?

I've only looked at the Chromecast. It reportedly runs a cut down
version of Android. In principle it could be infected, but it's much
less likely than with a mobile phone or tablet, because as a user you
can't install software on it.

If you found a bug in Google's Chromecast code, you could potentially
exploit it by persuading people to use a malicious phone app that
connected to a Chromecast, or (depending on the nature of the bug) by
providing a video that when streamed would trigger the bug. If Google
became aware of such a bug, they could patch it without user
intervention.

There have been hacks that allow a Chromecast to be "hijacked" and
play video sent by the attacker, but that's a different sort of
vulnerability.

-- Richard

[Roderick Stewart]

On Sun, 14 May 2017 10:19:19 +0100, Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

>Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or
>whatever, and if so, how can they be protected, or if you do get
>infected, how can they be cleaned out?

I can't imagine anybody being bothered to do it. What would be the
point of demanding $300 ransom to unlock an Amazon Fire Stick when,
for a fraction of that the user could just buy a new one?

Rod.

[R. Mark Clayton]

Or hard reset it.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes indeed was this not how they compromised photo frames, bluetooth
connected dolls, Samsung tellies etc?
My connected toilet is spying on me mummy.

What about Amazon Echo or Google home etc.
Brian

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"Wolfgang Schwanke" <s...@sig.nature> wrote in message
news:uje9fo...@wschwanke.de...
> Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote
> in news:4u7ghchdkaoup2am7...@4ax.com:

>
>> Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>> Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or
>> whatever,
>

> Theoretically yes. Anything that can install or update its own software
> can catch a virus, and I think all these devices do.
>
> --
> John Peel is not enough
>
> http://www.wschwanke.de/ http://www.fotos-aus-der-luft.de/
> usenet_20031215 (AT) wschwanke (DOT) de

[Richard Tobin]

In article <uje9fo...@wschwanke.de>,

Wolfgang Schwanke <s...@sig.nature> wrote:

>> Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>> Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or
>> whatever,

>Theoretically yes. Anything that can install or update its own software
>can catch a virus, and I think all these devices do.

Presumably they will only install signed updates, which makes it harder.

-- Richard

[Ian Field]

"Wolfgang Schwanke" <s...@sig.nature> wrote in message

news:nme9fo...@wschwanke.de...
> Roderick Stewart <rj...@escapetime.myzen.co.uk>
> wrote in news:j5dghctggnja74f80...@4ax.com:

>
>> What would be the
>> point of demanding $300 ransom to unlock an Amazon Fire Stick when,
>> for a fraction of that the user could just buy a new one?
>

> The Amazon Fire Stick could be programmed to destroy data on all the
> machines in the user's home LAN.

They seem to be concentrating on the CPU in IoT fridges and toasters.

[Brian Gaff]

Yes I wonder if its even possible to get at the update code to do it, but if
you did, maybe one could just use it as a vector to infect anything on the
users network which, lets face it, is what is going on and it seems very few
people actually observe good email Hygiene these days and just click merrily
away as long as the sender looks a bit like an entity they recognise.

Brian

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"Roderick Stewart" <rj...@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:j5dghctggnja74f80...@4ax.com...

[Brian Gaff]

And Iranian computers in charge of centrifuges for purifying Uranium of
course which is probably where this idea came from in the first place.

Brian

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"Ian Field" <gangprobi...@virginmedia.com> wrote in message
news:mb2SA.2048$8j7...@fx17.am4...

[Brian Gaff]

Well, most peoples home networks are cobbled together and forgotten about.

Brian

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"Huge" <Hu...@nowhere.much.invalid> wrote in message
news:enrti0...@mid.individual.net...

> On 2017-05-14, Wolfgang Schwanke <s...@sig.nature> wrote:
>> Roderick Stewart <rj...@escapetime.myzen.co.uk>
>> wrote in news:j5dghctggnja74f80...@4ax.com:
>>

>>> What would be the
>>> point of demanding $300 ransom to unlock an Amazon Fire Stick when,
>>> for a fraction of that the user could just buy a new one?
>>

>> The Amazon Fire Stick could be programmed to destroy data on all the
>> machines in the user's home LAN.
>

> Not on my LAN. This kind of shit lives in a DMZ.
>
>
> --
> I don't have an attitude problem. If you have a problem with my
> attitude, that's your problem.

[Brian Gaff]

In the main a lot of the software on the internet of things is basically
marketing driven.
Not like Dr Who last night where space suits of the future were programmed
to destroy their occupants to save oxygen.

Brian

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"pamela" <inv...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:XnsA775C54...@81.171.92.183...

> On 12:21 14 May 2017, Wolfgang Schwanke wrote:
>
>> Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote
>> in news:4u7ghchdkaoup2am7...@4ax.com:
>>

>>> Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such
>>> as Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a
>>> virus or whatever,
>>

>> Theoretically yes. Anything that can install or update its own
>> software can catch a virus, and I think all these devices do.
>>
>

> It's said some telly smart sticks preloaded with Kodi could harbour
> malware deliberately put there.

[Roderick Stewart]

I don't think this recent ransomware attack was addressed to a
particular target like the Stuxnet one. I think the NHS was
particularly badly hit by it simply because it was particularly
vulnerable, having been running antiquated systems without the
protection of regular security updates for several years.

Rod.

[Stephen]

On Sun, 14 May 2017 10:19:19 +0100, Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote:

>Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or

>whatever, and if so, how can they be protected, or if you do get
>infected, how can they be cleaned out?

They look like a flash disk with drivers for the hardware.

so yes, since there have already been viruses for USB sticks, with the
added advantage for a virus writer that you expect to allow a driver
to be installed......
Stephen Hope stephe...@xyzworld.com
Replace xyz with ntl to reply

[Ian Field]

"Roderick Stewart" <rj...@escapetime.myzen.co.uk> wrote in message
news:jgpihct6rb8n4g6ae...@4ax.com...

> I don't think this recent ransomware attack was addressed to a
> particular target like the Stuxnet one. I think the NHS was
> particularly badly hit by it simply because it was particularly
> vulnerable, having been running antiquated systems without the
> protection of regular security updates for several years.

AIUI: the NHS is using large numbers of XP machines to run legacy software
that they can't afford to replace.

[Ian Field]

"Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
news:ofbnvt$q90$1...@news.albasani.net...

> Well, most peoples home networks are cobbled together and forgotten about.
> Brian

Mine is nothing more than an interface between the VM co-ax and my PC - I've
since added a Linux laptop, but that's it.

[Ian Field]

"Brian Gaff" <bri...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message

news:ofbo6d$ql3$1...@news.albasani.net...

> In the main a lot of the software on the internet of things is basically
> marketing driven.
> Not like Dr Who last night where space suits of the future were programmed
> to destroy their occupants to save oxygen.

Obviously Tory brand goods.

[Ian Field]

"Richard Tobin" <ric...@cogsci.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:of992r$mfd$1...@macpro.inf.ed.ac.uk...

> In article <4u7ghchdkaoup2am7...@4ax.com>,
> Chris Hogg <m...@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>>Can these smart sticks that plug into the back of your TV, such as
>>Amazon Firestick, Roku and Chromecast, get infected by a virus or
>>whatever, and if so, how can they be protected, or if you do get
>>infected, how can they be cleaned out?
>
> I've only looked at the Chromecast. It reportedly runs a cut down
> version of Android. In principle it could be infected, but it's much
> less likely than with a mobile phone or tablet, because as a user you
> can't install software on it.

Just read in a regular column in Everyday practical Electronics;

There has been at least one reported case of ransomware on a smart TV/TV
stick - it locks the screen until you cough up.

The author predicts that children will be particularly targeted on Christmas
morning.

[Ian Field]

"pamela" <inv...@nospam.com> wrote in message

news:XnsA7775A0...@81.171.92.183...

> On 09:17 15 May 2017, Brian Gaff wrote:
>
>> In the main a lot of the software on the internet of things is
>> basically marketing driven. Not like Dr Who last night where
>> space suits of the future were programmed to destroy their
>> occupants to save oxygen.
>>
>>
>> Brian
>

> I'm surprised to hear Dr Who is still going. I thought it had
> been retired long ago. Shows how out of touch I am!

I've gone from hiding behind the sofa to not being conciously aware that it
ever existed.

[Indy Jess John]

A sofa is quite a big thing to not notice :-)

Jim

[Norman Wells]

But elephants often don't get noticed either.