Dumbots: Unexpected Botnets Through Networked Embedded Devices

Currently, work on botnets focuses primarily on PCs. However, as lightweight computing devices with embedded operating systems become more ubiquitous, they present a new and very disturbing target for botnet developers. In this paper, the authors present both an empirical demonstration on a widely deployed multimedia box, as well as an evaluation of the deeper potential of these dumbots. When it comes to subverting networked machines for distributed use (such as creating botnets), the primary arena tends to be commodity personal computers.