Can viruses infect internet routers?

[Braiboo99]

Can a virus on a tablet, phone or PC infect a internet router and spread to other devices on that network or is it rare?

[Chaosolous]

Sir, this is a Wendy's.[www.google.com]

[NW/RL]

It can happen but is rare

[Braiboo99]

Originally posted by 8 gubed:

It can happen but is rare

How rare if you don't mind me asking?

[NW/RL]

Originally posted by Chaosolous:

Sir, this is a Wendy's.[www.google.com]

Bro you did not need to include all that tracking info

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+viruses+infect+routers

[NW/RL]

Originally posted by Braiboo99:

Originally posted by 8 gubed:

It can happen but is rare

How rare if you don't mind me asking?

Extremely unlikely. To the point where the only realistic chance you get hit with router malware is if you piss a hacker off

[Chaosolous]

Originally posted by 8 gubed:

Originally posted by Chaosolous:

Sir, this is a Wendy's.[www.google.com]

Bro you did not need to include all that tracking info

https://www.google.com/search?q=can+viruses+infect+routers

Consider it a bonus.

[potato]

not if it had its covid shots

[🍋 Lemonfed 🍋]

some malware might target some vulnerabilities in the most popular router models but the chance that a malware you find in the wild can install itself on your specific router is very thin.

[Irene ❤]

No it can't.

The router does not have an operating system. It can't execute or spread anything on it's own.

If your connected computer is infected, then the most it can do is to open and read the router setting, and it will be your computer doing the job - to connect to other device and spread virus.

[WhiteKnight77]

As others have stated, it is rare, but one needs to remember to change the log-in name and password to something else verses the default ones that can be looked up on the manufacturers websites.

[potato]

Originally posted by Irene ❤:

No it can't.

The router does not have an operating system. It can't execute or change anything.

what do you think firmware is

[vkobe]

yes if he has your signal and crack your wifi

[Fajita Jim]

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-disrupts-chinese-hacker-effort-malware-hijack-us/story?id=106832388

The Justice Department announced Wednesday it has successfully disrupted an effort by Chinese government-sponsored hackers to target U.S. critical infrastructure networks using a malware that had hijacked "hundreds" of home and small business routers.
...
In the operation last month, officials said the "vast majority" of compromised routers were Cisco and NetGear routes that were easy to access because they were old – and no longer received the standard security patches or software updates from their manufacturers.

[Irene ❤]

Originally posted by potato:

what do you think firmware is

A firmware is not an operating system. It's just a simple config page for you to change IP and things.

Can we bring the router to a new place, connect to new computers and spread virus? It's impossible.

Unless the infected computer is connected, then it reads all the network ID in that router and spread virus to them. But that is not the router spreading virus, it is the infected computer.

[kbm phantom.♡]

Originally posted by Irene ❤:

Originally posted by potato:

what do you think firmware is

Unless the infected computer is connected, then it reads all the network ID in that router and spread virus to them. But that is not the router spreading virus, it is the infected computer.

^^ This