Drive-By Pharming Remotely Kidnaps Surfers

A new exploit is called drive-by pharming. In traditional pharming, a host files on a computer or a manipulation of the domain name server (DNS) leads the victim to a bogus Web site. In a drive-by pharming attack, an unprotected broadband router or wireless access point (WAP) is manipulated and requests to legitimate Web sites are waylaid to bogus sites. The difference is that the newer attacks, which have been identified by Symantec and the Indiana University School of Informatics, are done remotely...
Drive-by pharming attacks can only be executed when the router either isn't password protected or when the attacker knows or can guess the password. Once the victim clicks on the link, JavaScript is used to change the DNS setting. From that point on, the user thinks he or she is at the legitimate site…

Link: http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=100003G4AEXK

 

Wow. Now that's scary. My only question is... If you're smart enough to remotely configure somebody's router, why are you driving around my subdivision surfing for my over-the-limit credit card numbers when you could be working as a highly paid security consultant?

 

Because they failed their Project Management Professional certification test. Probably the part that states, "Agreed to abide by a professional code of conduct".

 

key word is working; some folks ju&t don't go for the 9-5 routine. Or, maybe they don't know about that possibility…nah!