Original author(s) Operating system | Written in C Type Botnet | |
BASHLITE (also known as Gafgyt, Lizkebab, Qbot, Torlus and LizardStresser) is malware which infects Linux systems in order to launch distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS). Originally it was also known under the name Bashdoor, but this term now refers to the exploit method used by the malware. It can launch attacks of up to 400 Gbps.
In 2014 BASHLITE exploited the Shellshock software bug to exploit devices running BusyBox. In 2015 its source code was leaked, causing a proliferation of different variants. In 2016 it was reported that one million devices have been infected with BASHLITE. Of the identifiable devices participating in these botnets in August 2016, almost 96 percent were IoT devices (of which 95 percent were cameras and DVRs), roughly 4 percent were home routers and less than 1 percent were compromised Linux servers.
Design
BASHLITE is written in C, designed to easily cross-compile to various architecture.
It uses a client–server model for command and control. The protocol used for communication is essentially a lightweight version of Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Even though it supports multiple command and control servers, most variants only have a single command and control IP-address hardcoded.
BASHLITE's exact capabilities differ between variants. Described below are the most common features.
BASHLITE can generate several different types of DDoS attacks: it can hold open TCP connections, send a random string of junk characters to a TCP or a UDP port, or repeatedly send TCP packets with specified flags. There are no facilities for reflected or amplification attacks.
BASHLITE also has a mechanism to run arbitrary shell commands on the infected machine.
BASHLITE propagates via Telnet brute forcing, using a built-in dictionary of common usernames and passwords. The malware connects to random IP addresses and attempt to login, with successful logins reported back to the command and control server.