The virus, dubbed Chameleon, seeks out wi-fi access points - devices that transmit the wi-fi signal, found in many homes - that have not had their admin password changed.

Girl surfing on a laptop
Many people do not change their wi-fi admin password
This password is different from the one used to log on to the wi-fi network itself, and is often left unchanged from the default setting.

Once an access point is under a hacker's control, new firmware can be installed.