Smart fridges as a launching platform for cyberattacks is now a distinct reality for consumers. (Flickr/Samsung USA)

Ambitious hackers infected a refrigerator and other Internet-connected home appliances to launch a massive cyberattack during Dec. 23 through Jan. 6 in the first-ever such documented case of its kind.

Proofpoint, a security firm based in Sunnyvale, Calif., announced that it had uncovered a "botnet" installed on an army of smart devices ranging from television sets to a refrigerator. It is being reported as the first proven "Internet of Things" cyberattack, resulting in "more than 750,000 malicious email communications coming from more than 100,000 everyday consumer gadgets."

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Affectionately referred to in Internet circles as zombie armies, botnets mobilize infected devices to send out malicious emails to infect other machines and increase the footprint of the botnet.

The Sunnyvale firm is concerned that the emergence of smart devices with zero-to-limited Internet security might lead to increased "thingbot" attacks on businesses and consumers.

"Many of these devices are poorly protected at best and consumers have virtually no way to detect or fix infections when they do occur. Enterprises may find distributed attacks increasing as more and more of these devices come on-line and attackers find additional ways to exploit them," said David Knight, Proofpoint's general manager of information security.

The cyberattack came in cycles during the two week time period, in waves of 100,000 emails, three times a day. More than a quarter of the emails were sent by consumer gadgets that included networking routers, set top boxes, televisions and a smart refrigerator. The security firm stated that in most instances, the continued use of default passwords "completely exposed" the machines to resourceful cybercriminals.

Now the world is left to ponder a future where criminals can use your DVR to launch cyberattacks and your thermostat could be an accomplice to large-scale malicious email campaigns.

"The 'Internet of Things' holds great promise for enabling control of all of the gadgets that we use on a daily basis. It also holds great promise for cybercriminals who can use our homes' routers, televisions, refrigerators and other Internet-connected devices to launch large and distributed attacks," said Michael Osterman, principal analyst at Osterman Research.

Remotely operate your oven at your own peril, brave souls.

Reach editor Will Federman here. Follow him on Twitter.