What is Mirai Malware? Who is at risk of infection?

There are countless strains of malware out there that pose a threat to users, devices, and personal information. One such type of malware, called Mirai, has caused trouble for users around the world.

But what exactly is Mirai, who does it target, and how can this malware be avoided?

What is Mirai?

Mirai was first discovered in the second half of 2016 by Malwaremustdie, a non-profit cybersecurity organization.

In September 2016, Mirai was used to launch a DDOS (distributed denial of service attack) attack on various online platforms, including Twitter, Reddit, and Spotify. There are 3 individuals who confessed to creating Mirai Botnet and admitted that they carried out the attack to disable other Minecraft servers, making it easy to make money through this popular video game.

However, later the code of Mirai Botnet was released online. This is thought to be done to conceal Mirai's true origins, but also to allow other cybercriminals access to the effective botnet.

Since 2016, Mirai has been used many times to carry out DDoS attacks. For example, in early 2023, Mirai was found to be the culprit of a malicious campaign targeting IoT devices and Linux-based servers. In this attack, a variant of Mirai, dubbed "V3G4", was used to exploit 13 security holes of target servers and devices running Linux distributions. Malware variants are very common and often come equipped with new capabilities that can make a successful attack easier.

Mirai mainly attacks IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The term "IoT" refers to smart devices that can connect to each other to form a network. In short, an IoT device is a device equipped with certain elements, such as sensors and software programs, that allow them to connect with each other. IoT devices running on Linux and using ARC (ARGONAUT RISC Core) processors are Mirai's main goal.

So, how does this type of malware attack devices and what is its end goal?

How does Mirai work?

Mirai belongs to a class of malware known as botnets. A botnet is a network of computers that work in parallel to perform malicious actions. Mirai infects targeted devices, adds them to the botnet, and uses their processing power to achieve the attacker's goal. When a device is infected, it becomes a "zombie" and will do what the attacker asks.

The main goal of Mirai Botnet is to conduct DDoS attacks on targeted websites. A DDOS attack involves flooding a website with so much traffic that it overloads the servers and causes problems, making it unavailable to users. Many previous DDoS attacks have caused major damage, such as the Amazon Web Services (AWS) 2020 attack and the 2018 GitHub attack. days or even weeks.

Multiple devices are required to send traffic packets to a website and successfully execute a DDoS attack. This is where botnets can be useful to attackers.

Of course, cybercriminals could technically purchase a large number of machines and use them to carry out a DDOS attack, but this would be extremely costly in money and time. So attackers who choose to infect unsuspecting victim devices with malware can add them to the botnet. The larger the botnet (i.e. the more zombie devices added), the more severely the site is affected.

Mirai begins the infection process by screening IP addresses for Linux-based devices running on ARC processors, the main target of the malware. Once a suitable device is identified, the malware finds and exploits any security holes present on the device. Mirai can then infect the IoT device in question if the username and password used for access have not been changed. Now, Mirai can add the device to the botnet as part of an impending DDoS attack.

It's not always easy to tell if your computer is infected with botnet malware. So what can you do to identify and avoid Mirai?

How to avoid getting infected with Mirai malware

What is Mirai Malware? Who is at risk of infection? Picture 1 What is Mirai Malware? Who is at risk of infection? Picture 1

While Mirai has seen success in cyberattacks in the past, there are things you can do to avoid and detect this dangerous botnet.

Signs of a botnet infection include frequent crashes and shutdowns, slow Internet connections, and overheating. It is important to be aware of these signs so as not to accidentally miss this type of malware.

When it comes to botnet malware prevention, your first line of defense should always be a reliable antivirus. Antivirus software continuously scans the device for suspicious files and code, then quarantines and deletes it if it determines it to be a threat.

Most legitimate antivirus providers charge a fee, which may seem annoying, but the protection you get is well worth it.

You should also ensure that you regularly update your application software and operating system to address any security holes. Security vulnerabilities are quite common in software programs and are often exploited by cybercriminals to launch attacks. Software updates can help patch these vulnerabilities and thus protect you from certain malicious campaigns.

Mirai scans IoT devices for security holes during infection, and the chances of such a weakness increase if you don't update your software regularly. You can schedule automatic updates for your operating system and applications, or simply check them regularly to see if there are any unreleased updates.

There are also botnet solutions you can install to protect yourself from this type of malware. These programs can detect and resolve botnet infections and protect websites/victims of DDoS attacks.

Mirai malware