Researchers have discovered at least 9,000 exposed VNC (virtual network computing) endpoints that can be accessed and used without authentication, allowing threat actors easy access to internal networks.
If these endpoints aren’t properly secured with a password, which is often the result of negligence, error, or a decision taken for convenience, they can serve as entry points for unauthorized users, including threat actors with malicious intentions.
Depending on what systems lie behind the exposed VNCs, like, for example, water treatment facilities, the implications of abusing access could be devastating for entire communities.
To make matters worse, Cybcle found some of these exposed VNC instances to be for industrial control systems, which should never be exposed to the Internet.
