The part that confuses me here is that everybody seems to take in stride that all these public-facing databases are already tracked and indexed. Like, how does https://www.shodan.io/search?query=meow+indices know all this? What am I missing here?
Is this attack literally "attempt access each database listed on shodan.io and destroy it if that works"?
I might be missing some major aspect (I certainly hope so), but isn't this like wondering why all those fireworks that people keep storing on the streets were eventually set off by some kid with a mask? Why isn't the question "why didn't this happen sooner"?
It has already happened in the past. Repeatedly. There's news coverage about this at least once a year. And it doesn't require using Shodan as there are plenty of open-source tools for scanning the Internet nowadays.
For example, this was from the same news website a few years ago:
Jeez, that's a pretty impressive dumpster fire. And it's been going for half a decade. Kudos for keeping track of it and periodically doing your part in reminding the world.
Is this attack literally "attempt access each database listed on shodan.io and destroy it if that works"?
I might be missing some major aspect (I certainly hope so), but isn't this like wondering why all those fireworks that people keep storing on the streets were eventually set off by some kid with a mask? Why isn't the question "why didn't this happen sooner"?