IoT Botnets: Characteristics, Exploits, Attack Capabilities, and Targets

In recent years, the world has witnessed a significant increase in the number of IoT devices, with a global and continuous rise in the demand for their multi-purpose applications. However, malicious use of IoT devices began to emerge among cybercriminals. IoT-enabled cyberattacks and botnets, such as the Mirai botnet and its variants and imitators, demonstrate that the industry needs to better secure IoT devices and networks; otherwise, there will be higher risks of exposing the Internet’s infrastructure and services to increasingly disruptive DDoS attacks. This paper presents the results of a study of IoT botnets. We focus on their distinctive characteristics, exploits used, and cyberattack capabilities. In total, we have reviewed and compared 46 recent IoT botnets. We also present details of the main CPU architectures targeted by these IoT botnets. We illustrate that IoT botnets pose a significant threat to private individuals and enterprises by employing effective evasion mechanisms, encrypted communication, and targeting a wide range of systems and networks.