Internet security when PC left connected online and idle for 2+ hours?

TenneR · 03 Apr 2023

This is a security related issue and just to understand what the risks are.

On a Windows 10 PC with just MS Defender, if you left your PC connected for long periods of time (which I assume many here do), what are the actual risks? Can hackers or casual passer-bys wondering and scanning for vulnerable PCs just invite themselves into your PC and snoop around (and even access / upload files) without you even realising?

Or would they first need to establish a backdoor, by installing malicious software before they're able to access your PC?

What are the signs of suspicious activity if you were to look under event viewer under comp mgmt?

Marie SWE · 03 Apr 2023

Hi TenneR

I made a long post on this subject in another thread in here two days ago Link: Guest login hack attempt 4625 (I want to know the attacker's ip ..

I think that post will probably answer 95% of your questions. and also give you a few new questions.

bro67 · 03 Apr 2023

Is the computer idle in a public place like a coffee shop or library?

TenneR · 04 Apr 2023

Marie SWE said:

Hi TenneR

I made a long post on this subject in another thread in here two days ago Link: Guest login hack attempt 4625 (I want to know the attacker's ip ..

I think that post will probably answer 95% of your questions. and also give you a few new questions.

Thanks - I'll have a read.

- - - Updated - - -

bro67 said:

Is the computer idle in a public place like a coffee shop or library?

Not a public PC

Marie SWE · 04 Apr 2023

TenneR said:

Thanks - I'll have a read.

as i wrote, you might give you new questions.. So i will try to answer them. I know a bit of IT-security from a short time i worked with a Red-team.

NavyLCDR · 04 Apr 2023

99% of home internet users leave WiFi on and ethernet connected 100% of the time. It just isn't that big of an issue if the router has a NAT firewall built in. For example, the IP address of the computer I am posting this from is 192.168.1.170. Feel free to try to hack it.

Marie SWE · 05 Apr 2023

NavyLCDR said:

99% of home internet users leave WiFi on and ethernet connected 100% of the time. It just isn't that big of an issue if the router has a NAT firewall built in. For example, the IP address of the computer I am posting this from is 192.168.1.170. Feel free to try to hack it.

To hack the wifi you have to be nearby to have access to the routers wireless transmission.
To hack wifi from Wan is as hard as hack Lan from Wan.. as you is hacking the router it self then and not the wifi

edit
Best to specify it so it wont create misunderstanding.

on wan side you have the built in firewall between you and the routers administration/to the inside..
But from wifi and lan you already are on the inside and don't have the firewall working against you.
With a Lan you need to get physical access to be able to plug in.. but with wan you can sit in a car outside the house and attack the router to get access... This is why administration access thru Wifi should be blocked and only have Lan access for administration.. But you can still get access to the local network.
With a router with remote administration from Wan side, you first try to attack the administration part as that is the week spot as it is already open from the outside.
Some has limited attempts (3-10)to gain access before it locks you out(lock the external IP out) so with rolling IP's thru hundreds of proxy-servers then you have 100x3or10 attempts for running a brute force attack. But a lot of consumer routers has unlimited attempts.. So long and complicated passwords that isn't in any wordbooks in any languages is good practice. also one you never use for anything else as email, websites and so on that can get hacked and leaked.
But to be able to do this, you need to have the public IP address. The Lan address is of no use.

TenneR · 05 Apr 2023

Thanks for further replies, though I think some of Marie's flew over my head - but appreciated nonetheless!

User2468 · 06 Apr 2023

To the OP.

To answer your question in a general sense - no.

To answer your question in an exact manner depends on many, many factors. Like, does your router or modem have an open port, do you use UPnP, do you use port forwarding, is your router firmware updated, do you use the default modem/router login credentials, is remote login turned on? That's just layer 1 of the OSI model, really.

Here, try this once. Go here and get your external IP address (the WAN side). Now go here or here or here with your IP address. See any open ports? No? Then you're probably good to go. If you see a port 7547, that port could potentially be exploited. I've seen infected (hacked) routers with that very port open try to gain access to my website with shenanigan connection metadata...

Wi-Fi on the other hand is a WHOLE other animal, and there exists many ways of creeping on in... LOL! But! If you use at least a 20+ character random alpha, numeric, symbol password and NOT the easy way of using WPS, you should be good to go. Even still, there are still ways in... Once on the Network, Samba shows all... Wi-Fi- 6 will help fix things, but like all things tech I'm sure a bunch of vulnerabilities will also be found.

TenneR · 06 Apr 2023

F22 Simpilot said:

To the OP.

To answer your question in a general sense - no.

To answer your question in an exact manner depends on many, many factors. Like, does your router or modem have an open port, do you use UPnP, do you use port forwarding, is your router firmware updated, do you use the default modem/router login credentials, is remote login turned on? That's just layer 1 of the OSI model, really.

Here, try this once. Go here and get your external IP address (the WAN side). Now go here or here or here with your IP address. See any open ports? No? Then you're probably good to go. If you see a port 7547, that port could potentially be exploited. I've seen infected (hacked) routers with that very port open try to gain access to my website with shenanigan connection metadata...

Wi-Fi on the other hand is a WHOLE other animal, and there exists many ways of creeping on in... LOL! But! If you use at least a 20+ character random alpha, numeric, symbol password and NOT the easy way of using WPS, you should be good to go. Even still, there are still ways in... Once on the Network, Samba shows all... Wi-Fi- 6 will help fix things, but like all things tech I'm sure a bunch of vulnerabilities will also be found.

Thanks F22 Simpilot