Virgin Media is advising over 800,000 customers with its Super Hub 2 router to immediately change their password.
It follows an investigation by the consumer organisation Which? that listed it among devices that could be accessed by hackers. CCTV units and smart children’s toys are also affected.
“Using publicly available hacking tools that can be found on the web, we were able to crack the router password in just a few days,” reported the consumer champion. “We were also able to log in to the router’s configuration page, since the default password for doing so is shared across all Super Hub 2 devices.”
Although Which is claiming credit, suggestions of the vulnerability date back to at least last October and research by Contexis.
The cablenet is advising customers to take action if they’re still using the original security code shown on the unit’s sticker.
Approximately 864,000 Virgin customers have the Super Hub 2 installed, though the number is decreasing as customers upgrade to the newer Super Hub 3.
“The security of our network and of our customers is of paramount importance to us. We continually upgrade our systems and equipment to ensure that we meet all current industry standards,” said the operator.
It’s updated advice for customers on changing the password of its routers.