Cyber Attacks That Used IP Address Spoofing and DNS

Understanding I P Spoofing

IP spoofing is a technique used to gain unauthorized access to computers by tricking the network into believing that the attacker’s IP address is a trusted one. By altering the header of an IP packet to ensure the receiver believes it was sent from a legitimate source, malicious individuals can bypass security measures and perform various cyber attacks such as Man-in-the-Middle, DoS(Denial of Service), and DDoS(Distributed Denial of Service) attacks through IP address spoofing attacks. Understanding and mitigating IP spoofing is crucial for maintaining network security and integrity.

Top 5 Spoofing-Based Cyber Security Incidents

• Attack on SWIFT Banking System (2016): Hackers manipulated internal SWIFT systems in a series of attacks, stealing $81 million from Bangladesh Bank. The heist initially aimed for $1 billion, but a typo stopped further funds.
• Yahoo Data Breaches (2013-2014): Fake cookies created using a forged web service allowed access to user accounts. While the breach cost Yahoo in the billions during its sale to Verizon in 2017, it’s hard to determine the exact loss due to IP spoofing.
• Operation Phish Phry (2009): A large-scale operation revealing phishing schemes leading to the arrest and conviction of around 100 people in the U.S. and Egypt. Losses were estimated at $1.5 million.
• US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Data Breach (2015): Spoofed addresses were suspected in accessing personal data of over 21 million government employees, with cleanup costs estimated at $500 million.
• NotPetya Cyberattack (2017): Utilized spoofing in its propagation mechanism resulting in damages of over $10 billion globally across various sectors.

Anatomy of a Modern IP Spoofing Attack

Disclaimer: This is an educational blog post and shouldn't be used for any malicious purposes. Some steps are simplified for clarity and brevity. Modern IP spoofing attacks encompass a series of strategic steps that cybercriminals undertake to manipulate and exploit the network communications protocol:

1. Reconnaissance: Attackers gather as much information as possible about the target system, including operating system, open ports, and IP addresses. This phase involves using tools like network scanners to map out the infrastructure.
2. Crafting Spoofed Packets: Using specialized software, attackers forge IP packet headers. Legitimate IP addresses are replicated, making it appear as if the packets originate from a trusted source.
3. Interception: Once the spoofed packets are crafted, they are sent to the network. Attackers might leverage packet injection techniques to insert these packets into an ongoing communication session.
4. MitM Attacks: In a Man-in-the-Middle attack, the attacker intercepts and possibly alters the data being transmitted between two parties. Spoofed IP packets help to route the traffic through the attacker’s system.
5. Evading Detection: To remain undetected, attackers continuously alter spoofed IP addresses, disperse attack vectors across multiple IP addresses, and monitor the network traffic to adapt their strategies.