Source: Dark Reading Author: Robert Lemos, Contributing Writer URL: https://www.darkreading.com/cloud-security/dnssec-denial-of-service-attacks-show-fragility
ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:
Recent attacks demonstrate vulnerabilities in DNS and DNSSEC, highlighting ongoing security challenges in internet infrastructure.
MAIN POINTS:
- Research revealed critical flaws in DNS and DNSSEC impacting internet stability.
- KeyTrap denial-of-service attack exploits DNSSEC signature validation weaknesses.
- Chinese researchers discovered three logic vulnerabilities leading to multiple DNS attack types.
- Security and availability often conflict, exposing internet infrastructure fragility.
- “Accept Liberally, Send Conservatively” principle may lead to harmful security implications.
- Attacks exploit DNSSEC’s acceptance of various cryptographic algorithms to overwhelm servers.
- Cloudflare limits the number of keys accepted to mitigate DNSSEC vulnerabilities.
- DNSSEC requires ongoing patches and RFCs to keep up with evolving attacks.
- Increased functionality in systems can introduce more bugs and security risks.
- Close collaboration between developers, infrastructure operators, and researchers is essential.
TAKEAWAYS:
- DNS and DNSSEC vulnerabilities compromise internet stability.
- Understanding attack vectors is crucial for maintaining security.
- Security principles must evolve to prevent unintended consequences.
- Continuous evaluation and patching of standards are necessary.
- Collaboration among stakeholders strengthens defenses against cyber threats.