What is Mirai?

Mirai (The Japanese word for ‘Future’) is a nasty IoT (Internet of Things) malware that scans for insecure routers, cameras, DVRs, and other Internet of Things devices which are still using their default passwords and then add them into a botnet network, which is then used to launch DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks on websites and Internet infrastructure.

Originally this malware could only infect Linux based systems. The new versions can now infect Windows computers and spread itself to IoT devices on a network.

How Mirai works?

Mirai is built for 2 core purposes:

1. Locate IoT devices to grow the botnet.
2. Launch DDoS attacks based on instructions received from a remote C&C (Command and Control Center).

To fulfill its recruitment function, Mirai performs wide ranging scans on IP addresses. The purpose of these scans is to locate under-secured IoT devices that could be remotely accessed via easily guessable login credentials—usually factory default usernames and passwords (e.g., admin/admin). When the login succeeds the identity of the new BOT and its credentials are sent back to the CnC.

The CnC then copies the Virus into new device and commands the BOT to attack the new victim by sending massive amount of data. This results in what is called a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. A DDoS attack uses all of the devices in its “army” to then attack a target and flood it with traffic. When a website is flooded with too much traffic it can then be taken offline and users cannot access it.

How does Mirai affect the System?

Infected devices are hard to recognize as they continue to function normally except for occasional sluggishness and an increased us of bandwidth.

However, the Mirai is a severe IoT malware that can be used for launching DDoS attacks massively and cause real havoc on the Internet infrastructure worldwide.

How to Protect Your System against this Malware?

1. On an average IoT devices are scanned every two minutes. This means that a vulnerable device, such as one with a default password, could be infected within minutes of going online. So preventive measures should be taken to protect your system against this self-propagating harmful virus.
2. Users are firmly advised to secure IOT devices with strong and unique passwords.
3. Installing a reputable Internet security program could be one more way to guard your system against this venomous malware.

Threat Summary

Name: Mirai

Browsers Affected: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari.

Targeted Operating System: Linux operating systems, IoT devices, Windows and Mac OS

Category: Trojan

Symptoms: Causes massive DDoS attacks, outage of popular websites, disables the Internet for thousands of people, occasional sluggishness of the infected device.

How to Remove Mirai from your computer system?

Step A: Remove the malicious program from Control Panel

Note: Before we begin, try to remember how the extension got downloaded  on your computer system. Generally, these programs come bundled with free applications that we download off the internet. It is a good practice to locate and uninstall such programs while removing the Browser Hijacker/ Extensions.

Step B: Show hidden files and folders.

Step C: Remove the Malware from the System Configurations settings

1. Type “Msconfig” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. Click on “Services” Tab and click on “Hide all Microsoft services”.
3. Select Mirai from the list of remaining services and disable it by removing the tick mark from the checkbox and click on Apply button.

Step D: Restore the Browser settings changed by Mirai

Step E:  Delete the suspicious file from the Registry Key:

1. Type “Regedit” in search box / Run Box, select it and press Enter.
2. An authorization dialog box will appear, then you just have to click “Yes”. (The dialog box appearance may vary depending on OS used. For Windows 10 the the dialog box looks like the first screenshot and for windows 7 it appears like the second screenshot)
3. In the registry editor, take the backup of the current registry settings before making any changes in case you want to revert to old settings later. For this, Click on File option in the menu and select Export. Save the entry at a known location.
4. From the Menu, Click Edit and Select Find.
5. Enter Mirai and click on OK in the search box.
6. Select and delete suspicious  Enteries.

Step F:  Removing the infection from the Target link:

The Malware may have hijacked your web browser’s desktop shortcuts. In this case we will need to manually clean them by removing any links within the startup argument.

1. Locate your web browser shortcuts (Desktop, Taskbar or Start Menu), then right-click on it and select Properties. To view the Properties menu for the browser shortcut pinned to your Taskbar, right-click on the browser shortcut from the Taskbar. Right-click again on the browser icon and Select Properties.
2. In the Shortcut tab, in the Target field, remove the url argument for Mirai which starts with “http”. There should be only the path to the browser’s main file and end with .exe such as iexplore.exe, chrome.exe or firefox.exe These are the default shortcut path that should be there in your Target box, if there is anything else  you should remove it.

Tips to prevent your computer system from getting infected –

1. Keeping the Operating System Updated- In order to remain protected and avoid such infections, it is recommended to keep your Operating System updated by enabling the automatic update on your system. The systems with outdated or older versions of Operating System become an easy target for the attackers.
2. Resist clicking on spam emails – One of the major techniques used for malware distribution is forwarding spam emails to the user. The system gets infected as soon as the user clicks on the attachment. These mails appear to be genuine, so be aware and resist falling for these tricks.
3. Keep an eye on third party installations- It is quite important that you take due care while installing any third party applications for they are major source of such infections. Such malware programs come bundled with the free applications thereby requiring the user to remain cautious.
4. Regular periodical backup- In order to keep your data and files safe, it is recommended to take regular back up of all your data and files either on an external drive or cloud.
5. Use Anti-Virus Protection- We strongly recommend the use of antivirus protection/internet security in your PC like 360 Total Security and BULL GUARD so that it remains safe.
6. Enable the Ad Blocker/Popup Blocker in your browser- Enabling the popup blocker/ ad blocker in your chosen browser will help you to stay protected from annoying adware.

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