After being infected, the robot
Posted: Sun Feb 09, 2025 2:59 am
Robot ransomware is the new nightmare for security experts
Alex Sidorov | 12.03.2018
IncreaseThe researchers modified the robot's software to modify its behavior and demand a ransom (Photo: IOActive Labs)
The researchers modified the robot's software to modify its behavior and demand a ransom (Photo: IOActive Labs)
Ransomware has long been a headache for PC and smartphone users. And in the future, perhaps, robots will stop working until the ransom is paid.
As reported by ZDNet, researchers from security firm IOActive Labs demonstrated at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit in Cancun, Mexico, how they hacked one Softbank humanoid robot, NAO, and infected another with custom-made ransomware. The researchers say such attacks would also be effective against the well-known Japanese robot Pepper.
began to insult its audience and demand that they “feed” it bitcoins so that the systems would return to normal.
While the threat from a miniature jamaica mobile database may seem funny, if a little scary, the test attack highlighted the risks associated with robot security flaws. “To force a business owner to pay a ransom to a hacker, the robot can be forced to stop working. And since robots are directly involved in manufacturing and service delivery, stopping their work will create financial problems for the business, and they will lose money every minute the robots are down,” said Cesar Cerrudo, chief technology officer at IOActive Labs.
Using previous research to identify vulnerabilities in robots, the researchers were able to inject malicious code into Pepper and NAO robots and run it. They gained complete control over the robots, allowing them to shut them down or change their actions.
Alex Sidorov | 12.03.2018
IncreaseThe researchers modified the robot's software to modify its behavior and demand a ransom (Photo: IOActive Labs)
The researchers modified the robot's software to modify its behavior and demand a ransom (Photo: IOActive Labs)
Ransomware has long been a headache for PC and smartphone users. And in the future, perhaps, robots will stop working until the ransom is paid.
As reported by ZDNet, researchers from security firm IOActive Labs demonstrated at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit in Cancun, Mexico, how they hacked one Softbank humanoid robot, NAO, and infected another with custom-made ransomware. The researchers say such attacks would also be effective against the well-known Japanese robot Pepper.
began to insult its audience and demand that they “feed” it bitcoins so that the systems would return to normal.
While the threat from a miniature jamaica mobile database may seem funny, if a little scary, the test attack highlighted the risks associated with robot security flaws. “To force a business owner to pay a ransom to a hacker, the robot can be forced to stop working. And since robots are directly involved in manufacturing and service delivery, stopping their work will create financial problems for the business, and they will lose money every minute the robots are down,” said Cesar Cerrudo, chief technology officer at IOActive Labs.
Using previous research to identify vulnerabilities in robots, the researchers were able to inject malicious code into Pepper and NAO robots and run it. They gained complete control over the robots, allowing them to shut them down or change their actions.