DNS Spoofing
DNS spoofing, also known as DNS cache poisoning, is a cybersecurity attack where an attacker introduces corrupted data into a domain name system (DNS) resolver's cache. This causes the resolver to return an incorrect IP address for a legitimate website. As a result, a user attempting to navigate to a trusted website, such as a banking site, is unknowingly redirected to a fraudulent, malicious website controlled by the attacker.
There are several ways DNS spoofing can be carried out:
DNS server compromise: An attacker may directly gain unauthorized access to a DNS server and change its records to redirect traffic to malicious sites.
DNS cache poisoning: The attacker exploits a vulnerability in a DNS server to inject fake records into its cache. This is a standard method that can affect a large number of users who rely on that server.
Man-in-the-middle attacks: An attacker intercepts the communication between a user and a DNS server. They then provide a fake DNS response to the user's request, directing them to the malicious site. This type of attack is often carried out on public Wi-Fi networks.
The consequences of a successful DNS spoofing attack can be severe. Users can be tricked into entering their login credentials or other sensitive information on a fake website, leading to identity theft or financial loss. Attackers can also use these counterfeit websites to distribute malware.
ThreatNG helps to combat DNS spoofing by providing a comprehensive approach to identifying and mitigating external risks. It can do this through its discovery, assessment, reporting, and intelligence capabilities.
External Discovery and Assessment
ThreatNG’s external discovery is a crucial first step in identifying potential DNS spoofing risks. Since it performs unauthenticated discovery, it identifies a company's assets from an attacker's perspective, including their DNS infrastructure. This allows ThreatNG to find publicly exposed information that an attacker could use for a DNS spoofing attack.
The platform's external assessment capabilities help to evaluate the security of an organization's DNS configuration. The BEC & Phishing Susceptibility assessment, for instance, is directly derived from Domain Intelligence. This includes DNS Intelligence, which provides capabilities like Domain Name Permutations. ThreatNG can also assess Cyber Risk Exposure by considering parameters covered by the Domain Intelligence module, such as certificates, subdomain headers, and sensitive ports. A successful DNS spoofing attack often relies on vulnerabilities in these areas.
For example, a misconfigured DNS record or a subdomain pointing to a service that is no longer in use could be a potential entry point for an attacker to poison a cache. By assessing these factors, ThreatNG can identify weaknesses that might be exploited for DNS spoofing.
Continuous Monitoring and Reporting
ThreatNG provides continuous monitoring of an organization’s external attack surface, digital risks, and security ratings. This is critical for detecting DNS spoofing attempts. If a DNS record is maliciously altered, ThreatNG's continuous monitoring would likely detect the change.
The platform's reporting capabilities can then be used to communicate these findings. ThreatNG offers various reports, including Technical and Security Ratings reports, which would provide a detailed analysis of any discovered DNS vulnerabilities or suspicious changes. These reports also include risk levels, reasoning, and recommendations to help organizations prioritize their security efforts and mitigate the risk of DNS spoofing.
Investigation Modules and Intelligence Repositories
ThreatNG's Investigation Modules provide the detailed tools needed to investigate potential DNS spoofing threats. The Domain Intelligence module is key, particularly its DNS Intelligence capabilities. This module performs a deep analysis of DNS records, including Domain Record Analysis, which identifies IP addresses and technologies. The Domain Name Permutations feature helps detect and group manipulations of a domain, which could be used in phishing campaigns that rely on DNS spoofing.
For instance, if ThreatNG's DNS Intelligence discovers a domain name permutation that has a different IP address than the legitimate domain, it would be a significant indicator of a potential DNS spoofing or phishing attempt. The module would provide the IP address and mail records for the malicious domain, giving security teams the information needed to investigate further.
ThreatNG's Intelligence Repositories (DarCache) further enhance its ability to combat DNS spoofing. The
DarCache Vulnerability repository provides information on the real-world exploitability of known vulnerabilities. This includes data from the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), which details the technical characteristics and potential impact of each vulnerability. This information can be used to identify vulnerabilities in DNS software or related services that an attacker could use to perform a DNS cache poisoning attack.
Complementary Solutions
ThreatNG can work with complementary solutions to enhance its effectiveness against DNS spoofing. For example, ThreatNG’s findings on a misconfigured DNS record or a suspicious IP address could be shared with a network firewall or Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). The firewall could then be configured to block traffic to and from the malicious IP address, preventing a user from being redirected. The IPS could utilize ThreatNG's intelligence to detect and block tampered DNS responses.
Another example would be working with a threat intelligence platform. ThreatNG's real-time continuous monitoring and DarCache intelligence on vulnerabilities and ransomware groups could be fed into a threat intelligence platform, which could then correlate this information with other data sources to provide a more holistic view of the threat landscape. This would help an organization proactively defend against DNS spoofing attacks by anticipating potential threats before they occur.
