For the first time in a long time, there are zero Critical issues affecting the MediaServer in the Android Security Bulletin. Get the highlights of the October 2016 bulletin.

Image: Jack Wallen

By Jack Wallen | October 14, 2016, 12:57 PM PST

How did October fare for Android security issues? Let's pick through the latestAndroid Security Bulletin and find out.

SEE: Securing Your Mobile Enterprise (ZDNet/TechRepublic special feature)
Check your security release

Before we highlight what's included with the October 2016 Android Security Bulletin, it's always good to know what security release your device has installed. Of the Android devices I use regularly, the Verizon-branded Nexus 6 running Android 7.0 has the October 2016 security update, and the OnePlus 3 running Android 6.0.1 has the September 2016 security update. Nexus devices, as well as the new Pixel phones, will always be ahead of the curve for the

IoT botnet highlights the dangers of default passwords

Cameras produced from Dahua. Credit: Dahua


Michael Kan
IDG News Service
Oct 3, 2016 5:22 PM

The Mirai botnet used IoT devices to launch a massive DDOS attack
A botnet responsible for a massive DDOS (distributed denial-of-service) attack was created thanks to weak default usernames and passwords found in internet-connected cameras and DVRs.

The Mirai botnet grabbed headlines last month for taking down the website of cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs with a huge DDOS attack. Unlike most botnets, which rely on infected PCs, this one used IoT devices to target its victims.

It turns out the botnet was specifically designed to scan the internet for poorly secured products like cameras and then access them through easily guessable passwords like "admin" or "12345." Last Friday, the botnet's maker released its source code, and security experts have noticed it's built to try a list of more than 60 combinations of user names and passwords.

Those combinations were enough to allow the botnet to spread to 380,000 devices, according to its maker, who posted the source code on HackForums.

Security experts are warning that more botnets like Mirai will