The Mirai malware primarily targets Internet of Things (IoT) devices with weak or default credentials. Once infected, these devices become part of a botnet that the attacker controls remotely. The primary use of Mirai botnets is to perform Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.

DDoS attacks flood a target (server, application, or network) with massive traffic, overwhelming resources and causing service outages.

Mirai gained infamy after being used in large-scale DDoS attacks, including against DNS provider Dyn, which caused widespread internet outages.

Incorrect Options:

A. MITM attacks involve intercepting communications.

B. Birthday attacks are cryptographic hash collision techniques.

D. Password attacks refer to credential brute-forcing; although Mirai uses default credentials, its main attack vector is DDoS.

Reference – CEH v13 Official Courseware:

Module 18: IoT and OT Hacking

Section: “IoT Malware”

Subsection: “Mirai Botnet and Real-World Attacks”

CEH Engage: IoT Botnet Simulation

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