back to article Fixing your oven can cook your computer

If your Hotpoint cooker or washer's on the blink, don't arrange a repair by visiting the manufacturer's website: the appliance vendor has been inadvertently foisting nastyware onto visitors. As spotted by Netcraft, fake Java update dialogs started appearing on Hotpoint's UK and Republic of Ireland sites this week. If you click …

  1. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Unhappy

    So in hindsight any big appliance mfg site should be a good place for a watering hole attack

    Hard to believe no one else has thought of this or that no other mfg website has been hit.

    Yes appliance mfg you are responsible for not infecting your customers.

    Let's be clear this is not some tricky never-been-seen-before-in-the-wild zero day.

    It's Word Press that's not been kept up to date.

    I'd ask if this site hosts some sort of "Servicemans Blog" but I've no desire to visit it to find out.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: So in hindsight any big appliance mfg site should be a good place for a watering hole attack

      Hard to believe no one else has thought of this or that no other mfg website has been hit.

      Actually, we'll never know unless some security firm stumbles across an infected site. Too many companies, even if they find a problem like this don't want to say a word as: a) it'll cost them some money to fix the problem and b) It cost them some money in sales. a) is at least preferable just to get it fixed. But if they don't fix it, the damage may be heavy to the sales.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Coincidence?

    I had a spam call from an Indian chap on a private number trying to ask me about my hotpoint washing machine on Saturday - I wonder if this was part of the wider MO to get people to the site?

    1. Headley_Grange Silver badge

      Re: Coincidence?

      You should have asked him to come clean.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Coincidence?

        I don't think he would have took the heat.

    2. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: Coincidence?

      I had one of those too a few weeks ago. I said I didn't have a Hotpoint, it was a Zanussi and hung up. He obviously took note because within a week I got another similar call asking about my Zanussi washing machine. I told him I didn't have a Zanussi, it was a a Bosch. Still waiting for that follow up so I can tell him I have a Hotpoint and start it all over again :-)

      1. lawndart

        Re: Coincidence?

        He was clearly trying to launder some money

  3. Pompous Git Silver badge

    Cindy tells me...

    "And she tells me they're selling up their maisonettes

    Left the Hotpoints to rust in the kitchenettes

    And they're saving their labour for insane reading.

    Some of them lose - and some of them lose

    But that's what they want - and that's what they choose

    It's a burden — such a burden

    Oh what a burden to be so relied on."

  4. Headley_Grange Silver badge

    Firewall

    Some appliance companies have taken two years (and counting) to fix dishwashers which are a fire hazard, have caused several confirmed house fires and been condemned by the fire service and in Parliament. I assume they are in the process of creating a special department of couldn't-give-a-toss for when consumers find holes in their IoT security.

    1. Tom 7

      Re: Firewall

      We have a washing machine on its third motherboard and god knows how many other bits that have been replaced as the motherboards said they were FUBAR.

      I think the problem here is the desire to make things more complicated than they are prepared to pay to actually have maintained. I do not see this changing and I think its safe to say any IoT device should be de'I'ed with extreme prejudice unless its open sourced.

      1. Headley_Grange Silver badge

        Re: Firewall

        @Tom7 "I think the problem here is the desire to make things more complicated than they are prepared to pay to actually have maintained."

        I suspect it's more to do with not understanding what it means (costs) to have to support multiple configurations of hardware, firmware and software in the wild, especially if the said products rely on third party platforms (Android, iOS) and are attractive to hackers and criminals.

      2. heyrick Silver badge

        Re: Firewall

        "on its third motherboard"

        There's your problem right there. It's a motor, a heater, a valve, and a pump along with various mechanical sensors.

        Our machine gave up last weekend after a long life (bought in 1984). It was entirely mechanical and just worked. I'm dreading finding something useful to replace it with.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. Disk0

          Re: Firewall

          After my model Z gave way it took me a while to find a model with simple turning knobs and pushbuttons, and no display or otherwise useless and superfluous gadgetry. That, and the brand name starting with I and ending with IT sold me on the thing.

          1. MattP1821

            Re: Firewall

            Not sure if you are aware but Indesit & Hotpoint are one in the same, they are both brands of the italian company known as Merloni, they also own Ariston, Canon, Creda and more recently acquired the Whirlpool group brands so Whirlpool, AEG, Ignis etc....

        3. Bob Rocket

          Re: Firewall

          It might be just the brushes on the motor, a quick trip to the tip will likely get you a whole bunch of only partly worn ones for the identical motor (usually free but no more than a pound or two).

          If your machine was one that was sold in three variants of spin speed (800/1000/1200) you will probably find a jumper that you can uprate it to the fastest, jumpers were replaced with solder bridges (which you can also uprate) and in modern machines it is in the firmware (which might be difficult)

      3. Mark 85

        Re: Firewall

        I do not see this changing and I think its safe to say any IoT device should be de'I'ed with extreme prejudice unless its open sourced.

        I'm more hardline about IoS... so... FTFY.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Firewall

      "I assume they are in the process of creating a special department of couldn't-give-a-toss"

      They were going to, but they just couldn't be arsed.

    3. katrinab Silver badge

      Re: Firewall

      Yes, that company is Hotpoint / Indesit / Creda, same company, different brands.

  5. wolfetone Silver badge

    Well if a manufacturer can't produce driers that don't catch fire, and take their sweet time recalling them, then what hope have they got with their website?

  6. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    Driers that don't catch fire

    Adds a whole new meaning to "Hotpoint" does it not?

    1. John Lawton
      FAIL

      Re: Driers that don't catch fire

      Washout!

  7. phuzz Silver badge

    "Fixing your oven can cook your computer"

    But what if I need to fix my oven so that I can reflow the solder on my motherboard to fix my computer?

    1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
      Happy

      You start by getting some constantan wire and wrapping it round a ceramic rod...

    2. Disk0
      Thumb Up

      A good reason to stick to analog kitchen gear. Or just stick your mobo on the barbie.

  8. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Boffin

    Appliances using lots of gas, water or air --> fluidics?

    Implementing hard wired fluid logic modules?

    Just a thought.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Indesit & Whirlpool marriage

    As someone who knows a little about this whole marriage, it seems that there's a lot of rough patches going on between the two appliance makers as Whirlpool tries to implement their standards across the organization.

    I'm wondering if Whirlpool is thinking that buying Indesit may have been a mistake, given that their latest financials show that European operations are hurting their overall results and the costs of integration (translated: Getting the wild west of Indesit under control) are higher than expected.

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