US-CERT VPNFilter Destructive Malware

https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/current-activity/2018/05/23/VPNFilter-Destructive-Malware

"NCCIC is aware of a sophisticated modular malware system known as VPNFilter. Devices known to be affected by VPNFilter include Linksys, MikroTik, NETGEAR, and TP-Link networking equipment, as well as QNAP network-attached storage (NAS) devices. Devices compromised by VPNFilter may be vulnerable to the collection of network traffic (including website credentials), as well as the monitoring of Modbus supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) protocols.

VPNFilter has a destructive capability that can make the affected device unusable. Because the malware can be triggered to affect devices individually or multiple devices at once, VPNFilter has the potential to cut off internet access for hundreds of thousands of users.

NCCIC encourages users and administrators to review the Cisco blog post on VPNFilter for recommendations and to ensure that their devices are updated with the latest patches. NCCIC will provide updated information as it becomes available."

The key point from Cisco blog

"The type of devices targeted by this actor are difficult to defend. They are frequently on the perimeter of the network, with no intrusion protection system (IPS) in place, and typically do not have an available host-based protection system such as an anti-virus (AV) package. We are unsure of the particular exploit used in any given case, but most devices targeted, particularly in older versions, have known public exploits or default credentials that make compromise relatively straightforward. All of this has contributed to the quiet growth of this threat since at least 2016."