QNAP Warns NAS Devices Users Of Bitcoin Miners Attacking

Taiwanese NAS manufacturer QNAP has issued a new security warning to its customers. Unknown attacks, therefore, attack NAS devices with crypto mining malware – protective measures should therefore be taken immediately.

That comes from a report from QNAP. The crypto-miner used on compromised devices in this campaign is creating a new process called [oom_reaper] that mines Bitcoin cryptocurrencies. During execution, the malware can use up to 50 percent of the CPU power and mimic a kernel process with a PID greater than 1000 – users should notice this with a significant loss of performance. As far as is known, all of the company’s NAS devices are affected.

QNAP has already launched updates that fix the security vulnerabilities that allow strangers to gain access.

“We strongly encourage users to act immediately to protect their device,” said QNAP in a security advisory released today. “If you have any questions about this issue, please contact us through the QNAP Helpdesk.”

Customers who suspect their NAS is infected with the Bitcoin miner are advised to restart their device, which can remove the malware.

QNAP Safety Advisory

QNAP also recommends that customers take the following measures to protect their devices:

• Update QTS or QuTS hero to the latest version
• Install and update Malware Remover to the latest version
• Use stronger passwords for your administrator and other user accounts
• Update all installed applications to their latest versions
• Do not open your NAS to the internet or avoid using the default system port numbers 443 and 8080
• You can find detailed information on the steps required for each of the above measures in today’s security advisory