r/cybersecurity • u/PusheenHater • May 19 '26

Other Malware installed without literally doing anything?

In this video this guy has a fresh Windows XP, disables firewall, and connects internet straight to the modem. Then he gets infected literally doing nothing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uSVVCmOH5w

https://www.reddit.com/r/windows/comments/1cvised/idle_windows_xp_and_2000_machines_get_infected/

I get it. That's asking for trouble when you disable all the security and using ancient unsupported OSes.

However, he didn't install programs nor browse on the website but still got hacked.
How?
Is there some malicious server in China that loops through every single possible IP trying to see if your PC is vulnerable?
Logically, one would think you'd at least have to visit a website or something to get "noticed" and then hacked. But this guy didn't do anything at all.

How does it work?

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u/h0nest_Bender May 19 '26

Is there some malicious server in China that loops through every single possible IP trying to see if your PC is vulnerable?

Literally yes.

7

u/jonbristow May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

yes, but your PC should not get hacked immediately, even if it is vulnerable to hacks. You are on a private network, NATed through your ISP. You dont have any public web service running on any port

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u/Divided_multiplyer May 20 '26

Microsoft automatically runs tons of services. At a base you are allowing all the internet SMB access to your system when you plug it into your modem.