Phishing scam targets routers that use default security settings

Californian information security firm Proofpoint uncovers attack on Brazilian internet users with generic router login details such as 'admin'

Internet users are being warned to ensure that their routers have unique passwords, after email spammers have been spotted sending phishing links, which try to hijack the devices using default passwords, in order to harvest personal information from their victims.

The phishing emails attempt to trick the user into clicking a carefully crafted link, which will log the spammer into a home router if it's set up with the default security settings and a known password. From there, the spammer can eavesdrop on communications by altering the router's settings to pass all traffic through their owner servers.