The report says solar panels also have security vulnerabilities that can be used by hackers for cyber attacks
CTOnews.com, July 6 (Xinhua)-- US cyber security company Palo Alto Networks recently released a report saying that it has found a serious security vulnerability in the firmware of Contec, a Japanese manufacturer of smart solar panels, which can be used by hackers for cyber attacks.
According to the official website of Contec, these solar panels have been installed in about 30000 locations, according to ▲ map source Pexels. These panels are part of Contec's SolarView system, which can actively monitor solar power stations, so each solar panel is a veritable Internet of things device.
The vulnerabilities found this time, along with more than 20 other vulnerabilities, constitute a variant of the Mirai botnet described by Petto. The Mirai botnet, which was first discovered in 2016, has full potential for damage due to the rise of Internet of things devices, and there is still no sign of slowing down.
CTOnews.com found that in addition to Contec, other flawed Internet of things devices also involve TP-Link, Netgear, MediaTek, Tengda and many other well-known manufacturers, from routers to CCTV cameras to solar panels, all kinds of Internet of things devices have security risks.
Petto Network also said that due to the low frequency of firmware updates of Internet of things devices and the low willingness of users to take the initiative to update them, many devices may still be running the old firmware from many years ago, which will further increase the risk of network attacks on Internet of things devices.
