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Contents:
Domain hijacking and DNS poisoning are two methods used by threat actors to perform a DNS spoofing attack and redirect traffic toward malicious websites. They are both serious threats as they can be used to steal sensitive information, send visitors to a fake version of a website, and even take it offline completely.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the differences and similarities between the two, what they are, how they work, their impact, and how you can protect yourself or your business against them.
What Is Domain Hijacking?
Domain hijacking, also called “domain theft”, is a type of domain name system spoofing in which a threat actor steals a domain name by changing the DNS registration to point the domain to the malicious IP address on a different server.
Domain name hijacking can be accomplished in several ways, including through unauthorized access to, or exploiting a flaw in the domain name registrar’s system, via social engineering, a phishing website or by gaining access to the domain owner’s email account.
Domain hijackers frequently use impersonation to pose as the legitimate owner of a domain in an effort to change the legitimate domain registrant’s contact information or transfer the domain to another registrar.
Once they have control of the legitimate domain name, they can use it in any way they want, including selling it, redirecting it to a malicious website, or using it for email spam or phishing attacks.
It can also be used to prevent the victim from accessing their own website. Domain hijacking can be very costly for businesses since it can result in lost revenue, customers, and reputation.
What Is DNS Poisoning?
DNS Poisoning or ‘DNS Cache Poisoning’ on the other hand, achieves DNS spoofing without involve taking control over the DNS settings (like in the case of domain hijacking). Instead, it focuses on the DNS records – changing them, which results in the domain resolving the wrong IP address.
This can be used to redirect traffic intended for the legitimate website to a malicious website, where the attacker can attempt to steal sensitive information or infect visitors with malware.
DNS cache poisoning attacks are typically carried out by compromising a DNS server and changing the records it contains, or by spoofing DNS responses so that victims receive incorrect DNS information.
This technique can also be used to block access to websites, as attackers can simply redirect visitors to a non-existent page.
Domain Hijacking vs DNS Poisoning: Similarities
Both attacks exploit vulnerabilities in the Domain Name System (DNS) to redirect traffic intended for a legitimate website to a malicious site. This can allow attackers to collect sensitive information such as login credentials, or infect visitors with malware.
Both can be difficult to detect, as they often occur without any obvious signs. And both attacks can have serious consequences for website owners and visitors alike. If you suspect that your website has been hijacked or your DNS records have been poisoned, it’s important to take action quickly to minimize the damage.
Domain Hijacking vs DNS Poisoning: Differences
1. Domain hijacking changes the DNS settings, while DNS poisoning modifies the DNS records.
Domain hijacking occurs when an attacker gains control of a domain name and changes its DNS settings.
This can be done by breaking into the account of the domain registrar or by using social engineering techniques to trick the registrar into changing the DNS settings. Once the attacker has changed the DNS settings, they can redirect traffic meant for the victim domain to their own servers.
DNS poisoning occurs when an attacker modifies a DNS server’s records so that it resolves queries incorrectly.
For example, an attacker could modify a DNS server’s records so that when someone tries to visit www.example.com, they are actually directed to a malicious site instead. This type of attack is often used to redirect users from legitimate websites to fake ones in order to steal sensitive information like login credentials or credit card numbers.
2. Domain hijacking tends to be more disruptive since it can completely shut down a website.
Both attacks can have a significant impact on targets. Still, domain hijacking tends to be more disruptive because it might cause a website to go offline entirely, once complete control over the domain is achieved.
A DNS poisoning attack can be just as damaging, but it is often used as part of a larger attack where multiple domains are poisoned to redirect traffic to a single malicious site, and only some requests may be redirected depending on how the records were modified.
How to Protect Yourself from Domain Hijacking and DNS Poisoning
Domain hijacking and DNS poisoning are two of the most common methods used by attackers to gain control of a website or redirect traffic to a malicious site. There are a few steps you can take to prevent these attacks:
- Use a secure domain name registrar that offers two-factor authentication and other security measures.
- Keep your endpoints and especially your DNS servers updated with the latest security patches.
- Configure your DNS servers to use only secure protocols such as DNSSEC.
- Monitor your website and DNS servers for any suspicious activity.
Heimdal® DNS Security Solution
- Machine learning powered scans for all incoming online traffic;
- Stops data breaches before sensitive info can be exposed to the outside;
- Advanced DNS, HTTP and HTTPS filtering for all your endpoints;
- Protection against data leakage, APTs, ransomware and exploits;
How Can Heimdal® Help?
The good news is that, with the right tools, you can prevent these attacks before they cause any damage. This is where we come in to help, with two of our finest products specifically designed to protect you or your business against the dangers of the online world.
DNS Security – Endpoint is the perfect solution to secure your endpoints against DNS attacks, combining state-of-the-art machine learning technology with a powerful DNS filtering module that can predict threats with a 96% success rate.
By scanning user traffic in real time, Heimdal® DNS Security can prevent communication with malicious networks and restrict access to compromised domains.
Wrapping Up
Domain hijacking and DNS poisoning can be difficult to spot and can have serious consequences for businesses and individuals alike. Now that you’ve learned more about them, you can take all the precautionary actions to stay one step ahead of the cyber threats lurking in cyberspace, and especially in the DNS traffic.
And remember that with the proper tools, you can prevent them before they get a chance to disrupt your activity or damage your IT infrastructure!
FAQs
What is the difference between DNS spoofing and DNS poisoning?
DNS spoofing involves tricking a an end user who’s system into believing it has received authentic DNS information when it hasn’t, typically redirecting the user to a malicious site. DNS poisoning, however, targets the DNS server itself, altering its information to redirect user requests to fraudulent locations on a wider scale.
What happens if DNS is hijacked?
When DNS is hijacked, cyber attackers redirect internet traffic from legitimate websites to fraudulent ones by manipulating DNS responses. This allows them to steal sensitive information, distribute malware, or censor information. Users may unknowingly enter personal details on these fake sites, leading to identity theft, financial loss, and compromised security.
Why do hackers use DNS poisoning?
This technique allows them to steal sensitive information, distribute malware, or conduct phishing attacks. By corrupting the DNS cache, hackers can control where traffic is directed, exploiting this for financial gain, espionage, identity theft, or spreading disinformation.
What is the difference between DNS poisoning and pharming?
DNS cache poisoning and pharming both redirect users to fraudulent websites, but differ in approach. DNS poisoning corrupts a DNS server’s cache, affecting all users querying that server. Pharming, on the other hand, targets individual users by infecting their local computer, or manipulating local host files, redirecting them regardless of the DNS server’s integrity.
How do you detect DNS poisoning?
Detecting DNS poisoning involves monitoring for unusual DNS server responses. Signs include unexpected IP addresses for known websites, inconsistent results across different DNS servers, and unusually long response times. Regularly comparing DNS query results with trusted sources and employing network security tools that flag anomalies can help identify potential DNS poisoning incidents.
What is a DNS server?
A DNS (Domain Name System) server is a critical internet component that translates human-readable domain names (like “=’example.com’) into IP addresses (like 192.0.2.1) that computers use to identify each other on the network. It acts like a phonebook for the internet, enabling users to access websites through easy-to-remember domain names.
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Madalina, a seasoned digital content creator at Heimdal®, blends her passion for cybersecurity with an 8-year background in PR & CSR consultancy. Skilled in making complex cyber topics accessible, she bridges the gap between cyber experts and the wider audience with finesse.
