Look out for a FIOS Router Virus!
zorkbirder
Newbie

FIOS Router Virus problem

For the last year or so we've had all sorts of computer problems.

A redirect virus that affected search engines every time we clicked on a search result we got redirected to another page
the Control C copy function stopped working
A few web pages we couldn't get to (Kodak pictures was one)
Every now and them for no reason web page  loading  got extremely slow
Sometimes while reading one page the computer would spontaneously jump to some random page

I've re-imaged my computer, tried 3 antivirus programs, 2 spy ware programs, 2 computer "cleaners", and still we had the same problems!

Then I discovered the redirect problem also occurred on my IPhone, but only when I used the FIOS wireless connection at home.  This indicated it wasn't a problem with my computer but with the Verizon FIOS Router. 
Sure enough I got a new router from Verizon yesterday and all the problems are gone.

So be on the look out for a virus if you have a broadband router.

0 Likes
Re: Look out for a FIOS Router Virus!
catchatter
Enthusiast - Level 1

I've been going out of my mind....crazy.  All so the sudden I was unable to get to a portion on my online banking...I've tried a different browser Google Chrome and Mozilla.  Went back to IE-8 than back to IE-9.  I have run every scan possible plus, Microsoft scans and added MacAfee scans...and still unable to gain access to a portion of my banking....Tried a different computer in the house and still nothing also tried my smartphone...when I went out last week I could finally gain access so I started thinking it could be my ROUTER..By this time I had already been on the phone with Verizon for over an hour and they could not help.  So, I called my bank and was on the phone with them for a good hour and still nothing.  So, I'm getting ready to call Verizon back.  I have also reset my router and unplugged the battery for a few minutes and turned back on.  Also, tried putting the wire from the router directly into my laptop..NOTHING..Came on the Forums to see if anyone else were having router issues before calling Verizon again.

0 Likes
Re: Look out for a FIOS Router Virus!
smith6612
Community Leader
Community Leader

The FiOS routers can't just be infected by a Virus and still continue to operate with only a few oddball signs causing it all. The firmware on them needs to be specifically built for the unit, and what Open Sourced code is out there for the routers isn't exactly complete. I doubt someone is going to create several different flavors of firmware and then attempt to backdoor a router just to try and mess around with someone's Internet traffic. They're better off making some really obscure Keylogging/data capturing program since it will give more univeral results 🙂 . With the amount of upload FiOS offers, the data capturing program would certainly make more sense since users won't notice data being uploaded. Get where I'm going here? I'm not saying the router can't be infected, I'm simply saying it's not worth the time, which is what makes such infections rare.

Most likely a factory reset of the router would be all that is needed, and from there, changing the default password to something you know would be tough for a program to guess would work. In the past, Verizon used to have one of four passwords that would work on a FiOS router if the user did not change it for whatever reason. This summer they changed the password to something that is a bit more difficult to guess, so it's harder for malware on, say a computer to guess what the password is. There's still a backdoor that Verizon has set up in the router that perhaps has been exploited a few times, but even then, I don't think they're going to be trying to play games and flash tainted software to the router anytime soon.

I have seen times where malware on PCs with a default listing of router usernames and passwords have gone into a router and adjusted routing and DNS settings, but those are cleared just by factory resetting the router and taking the infected machine off the network, changing the router's password, nuking the infected machine, and setting everything up from scratch.

0 Likes