QNAP customers have been advised that cyber attackers are targeting its network-attached storage (NAS) products with ransomware and have been encouraged to secure their devices at the earliest opportunity.
Ransomware and brute-force cyber attacks have been "widely targeting" QNAP's internet-facing NAS products, according to the manufacturer which published a products security statement on Friday.
Best NAS drives 2023: Which network storage appliance is right for you? 12 wonderful uses for a NAS Can you put an SSD in a NAS?
NAS drives that are exposed to the internet without any protection are particularly vulnerable to the attacks and users are advised to revisit their security settings to ensure devices are adequately protected.
The scale of attacks is currently unclear and QNAP also didn't specify what strain of ransomware the attackers are using, or where the attackers are based. IT Pro has contacted QNAP for additional comment.
To check if a NAS drive is vulnerable to the attacks QNAP has observed, users should open the QNAP Security Counselor on their NAS products. The NAS is at high risk if there is an artefact that reads: 'The System Administration service can be directly accessible from an external IP address via the following protocols: HTTP' on the dashboard. QNAP also has a guide for users on how to check which ports on a router are exposed to the internet.
Securing the NAS
The first step to fully protect vulnerable products from the ongoing attacks is to disable the port forwarding function of the router. This can be completed via the management interface of a user's router. Users should check their settings and disable the port forwarding setting of NAS management service port which is set at port 8080 and 433 by default.
Users should finally disable the universal plug and play (UPnP) function of their QNAP NAS product in the QTS menu in myQNAPcloud. To do this, users can navigate to the 'Auto Route Configuration' tab in the QTS menu and unselect 'Enable UPnP Port forwarding'.
-
Using DeepSeek at work is like ‘printing out and handing over your confidential information’News Thinking of using DeepSeek at work? Think again. Cybersecurity experts have warned you're putting your enterprise at huge risk.
-
Can cyber group takedowns last?ITPro Podcast Threat groups can recover from website takeovers or rebrand for new activity – but each successful sting provides researchers with valuable data
-
Average ransom payment doubles in a single quarterNews Targeted social engineering and data exfiltration have become the biggest tactics as three major ransomware groups dominate
-
BlackSuit ransomware gang taken down in latest law enforcement sting – but members have already formed a new groupNews The notorious gang has seen its servers taken down and bitcoin seized, but may have morphed into a new group called Chaos
-
Google cyber researchers were tracking the ShinyHunters group’s Salesforce attacks – then realized they’d also fallen victimNews In an update to an investigation on the ShinyHunters group, Google revealed it had also been affected
-
Nearly one-third of ransomware victims are hit multiple times, even after paying hackersNews Many ransomware victims are being hit more than once, largely thanks to fragmented security tactics
-
75% of UK business leaders are willing to risk criminal penalties to pay ransomsNews A ransom payment ban is a great idea - until you're the one being targeted...
-
The Scattered Spider ransomware group is infiltrating Slack and Microsoft Teams to target vulnerable employeesNews The group is using new ransomware variants and new social engineering techniques - including sneaking into corporate teleconferences
-
Hackers breached a 158 year old company by guessing an employee password – experts say it’s a ‘pertinent reminder’ of the devastating impact of cyber crimeNews A Panorama documentary exposed hackers' techniques and talked to the teams trying to tackle them
-
The ransomware boom shows no signs of letting up – and these groups are causing the most chaos
News Thousands of ransomware cases have already been posted on the dark web this year
