Up to three million British households at risk from Wi-Fi hackers, expert warns

Rob Waugh
·Contributor
Fault in Google Chrome allows hackers to access home Wi-Fi networks in seconds (Getty)
Fault in Google Chrome allows hackers to access home Wi-Fi networks in seconds (Getty)

Up to three million British households could be at risk from hackers breaking into Wi-Fi networks – without users even being aware.

Hackers could steal passwords, or (more alarmingly) activate connected devices such as webcams, experts from SureCloud have warned.

The vulnerability is via devices running the Chrome browser, due to the way it saves passwords.

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The vulnerability could allow hackers to capture Wi-Fi network passwords (although attackers would need to be within Wi-Fi range, while a user was using Chrome).

In theory, hackers can use this to steal the Wi-Fi password from the router, and all users would see is what looks like a Wi-Fi admin menu popping up.

The attack affects a wide range of devices including routers from ASUS, NETGEAR, D-Link and Belkin.

SureCloud advise users to only log into their router for configuration using either a separate browser (not Chrome) or an incognito session, and to clear their browser’s saved passwords.

Elliot Thompson of Surecloud said three million households in the UK could be at risk, and up to 30 million around the world ‘as a conservative estimate.’

Thompson said, ‘This is an issue that web users should be aware of and take steps to protect themselves against.’