Mozi – A great threat to the IoT

Unfortunately in IoT the security issue has not been taken seriously and Mozi is a very clear example that there is something that has to change urgently in the Internet of Things, since otherwise this great evolution of the network that so much and so good it contributes can end up becoming the main network security problem with the dire consequences that something like this would have.

The latest and clearest example of this can be found in several online publications on cybersecurity from the Ontinet group, an ESET security solutions company. This article focuses on Mozi, a botnet that emerged at the end of last year and that, in this period, has been able to get ahead of other botnets specialized in IoT, thus becoming, in combination with its variants, responsible for around 90% of malicious network traffic from IoT devices detected by X-Force (IBM’s cybersecurity unit) between October 2019 and June 2020.

Mozi Features

Mozi is a combination of three different previously known malware called Gafgyt, Mirai and IoT Reaper and it is that they attack directly against devices of what is known as the Internet of Things. These Mazi infected devices form a botnet that can be used to carry out DDoS attacks, collect data, and steal information. Although it is unknown if this botnet has been used or not for what we comment.

The main difference from previous threats is that they had a centralized command and control infrastructure and now Mozi-infected devices have come together to form a P2P botnet. This brings important changes and it is that the Mozi botnet is more difficult to eliminate in its entirety and this is what Michael Benjamin, member of the Security company CenturyLink believes. When the command and control function of a botnet is centralized to a single server or even a handful of them, the botnet can be disabled by targeting those servers.

Experts indicate that this botnet is not large enough to carry out DDoS attacks but it is large enough to be a concern, as DDoS attacks are very present on the network. They can compromise the security and reliability of the devices.

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