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One comment in that thread[1] gives a full explanation of what such a Raspberry Pi device hooked up to the router can do: forward all the network traffic, repla
by krn 8y ago
One comment in that thread[1] gives a full explanation of what such a Raspberry Pi device hooked up to the router can do: forward all the network traffic, replace router's stock firmware with its own, install software on the network connected devices via known vulnerabilities, spoof websites by acting as custom DNS server. In my opinion, it looks like "a Pi-hole[2], but for phishing".
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/9ixdh9/found_hooked_up_to_my_router/e6o4tun/ https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthisthing/comments/9ixdh9/fou...
[2] https://pi-hole.net/ https://pi-hole.net/
- dabockster 8y agoIt's amazing how many people forget that Raspbian is still Linux under all the Wolfram and Raspberry Pi stuff. So you essentially have a tiny computer that can be plugged into almost anything you can program for.
- dopamean 8y agoDo people really forget that? I thought that was the whole point of raspberry pis.
- dx87 8y agoIt depends on what you're using it for. I bought a kit for setting up a retro-pi because I didn't feel like checking to ensure the parts were all compatible. It gives you step by step instructions to set it up, and none of it requires knowing anything about Linux. You just download an image file, write it to the ssd, and when you plug it in it does all the setup itself and you're just presented with the retro-pi GUI. The only hint that it's Linux under the hood is when the names of processes scroll past on the screen as it's booting.
- eugenekolo2 8y agoNobody using a raspberry pi forgets that.
- washadjeffmad 8y agoIf they picked it out and bought it, yes, obviously. However, there are a lot of products sold that perform selected tasks that run on preconfigured raspis with the consumer none the wiser. Kodi boxes, emulation kits, scientific plug-and-go kits, and much more. I have been offered or asked about things running on raspi hardware on many occasions by people who were none the wiser to what platform they were using, and we recently had an event where we gave out around a hundred of them preloaded with run-once synchronized software for an event. How many of those people knew for certain they were holding Raspberry Pi Zero W boards with pared down Linux kernels? None. They're a lot more commercial and common than a handful of snarks with downvotes realize, and OP doesn't deserve to be punished for that.
- MrEldritch 8y agoReally, people forget that Raspbian might just possibly be related to Debian? >doubt
- dahart 8y agoKeep in mind that all modern routers are also tiny computers running a Unix variant like busybox. They can run arbitrary programs and they’re connected to everything you have by default.
- amckinlay 8y agoI still don't understand how this device could steal login details. Everything should be encrypted and authenticated through PKI when using any website that accepts login details. Whenever I visit a website with an expired certificate, for example, Chrome gives me a big red warning banner before allowing me to continue to the site.
- 83457 8y agoI think the idea is that it could proxy communication. Mitm
- rootw0rm 8y agoyou still have to install the proxy certs
- mjevans 8y agoPick your favorite windows 0-day and use it to only install a cert and nothing else that would tip off AV software.
- avhon1 8y agoNot only that, but because the device has unfettered access to the internet, an attacker can always update it with new ways of installing certificates on your machine.
- alangpierce 8y agoAre Windows 0-days really that common? I thought they were usually saved for really serious attacks, e.g. from state-sponsored actors, not scams on the level of "pay some random person $15 a month to attach a mysterious device to their router".
- eponeponepon 8y agoI can't answer your question authoritatively, but there are plenty of organised criminal enterprises in the world with state-level resources.