Complete Basic Tutorial on DNS Hijacking

Complete Basic Tutorial on DNS Hijacking

DNS hijacking (sometimes said as DNS redirection) could be a style of malicious attack that overrides a computer’s TCP/IP settings to purpose it at a scallywag DNS server, thereby unsupportive the default DNS settings. In alternative words, once AN assaulter takes management of a laptop to change its DNS settings, in order that it currently points to a scallywag DNS server, the method is said as DNS hijacking.

As we have a tendency to all grasp, the “Domain Name System (DNS)” is especially answerable for translating a user friendly name like “google.com” to its corresponding science address “69.134.227.26”. Having a transparent plan of DNS and its operating will assist you higher perceive what DNS hijacking is all concerning. If you're fairly unaccustomed the thought of DNS, i'd advocate reading my previous post on however name System Works.

How DNS Hijacking Works?

As mentioned before, DNS is that the one that's answerable for mapping the user friendly domain names to their corresponding science addresses. This DNS server is owned  and maintained by your net service supplier (ISP) and plenty of alternative non-public business organizations. By default, your laptop is organized to use the DNS server from the ISP. In some cases, your laptop could even be exploitation the DNS services of alternative supposed organizations like Google. during this case, you're same to be safe and everything looks to figure commonly.

But, imagine a state of affairs wherever a hacker or a malware program gains unauthorized access to your laptop and changes the DNS settings, in order that your laptop currently uses one in every of the scallywag DNS servers that's owned  and maintained by the hacker. once this happens, the scallywag DNS server could translate domain names of fascinating websites (such as banks, search engines, social networking sites etc.) to science addresses of malicious websites. As a result, after you kind the URL of an internet site within the address bar, you'll be taken to a pretend web site rather than the one you're intending for. Sometimes, this will place you in deep trouble!

What square measure the risks of DNS Hijacking?

The dangers of DNS hijacking will vary and depend upon the intention behind the attack. several ISPs like “OpenDNS” and “Comcast” use DNS hijacking for introducing advertisements or assembling statistics. despite the fact that this will cause no serious injury to the users, it's thought-about as a violation of RFC standards for DNS responses.

Other dangers of DNS hijacking embody the subsequent attacks:

Pharming: this can be a sort of attack wherever a web site’s traffic is redirected to a different website that's a pretend one. as an example, once a user tries to go to a social networking web site like Facebook.com he is also redirected to a different web site that's full of pop-ups and advertisements. typically|this can be} often done by hackers so as to come up with advertising revenue.

Phishing: this can be a sort of attack wherever users square measure redirected to a malicious web site whose style (look and feel) matches specifically therewith of the first one. as an example, once a user tries to log in to his checking account, he is also redirected to a malicious web site that steals his login details.

What if you're already a victim of DNS hijacking?

If you believe that your laptop is infected with a malware program like DNSChanger, you would like not panic. it's fairly straightforward and simple to live through the injury caused by such programs. All you've got to try to to is, simply verify your current DNS settings to create certain that you just aren't exploitation any of these DNS IPs that square measure blacklisted. Otherwise re-configure your DNS settings as per the rules of your ISP.

How to stop DNS Hijacking?

In most cases, attackers build use of malware programs like a malicious program to hold out DNS hijacking. These DNS hijacking trojans square measure typically distributed as video and audio codecs, video downloaders, YoTube downloaders or as alternative free utilities. So, so as to remain protected, it's counseled to remain far from untrusted websites that provide free downloads. The DNSChanger trojan is AN example of 1 such malware that hijacked the DNS settings of over four million computers to drive a profit of concerning fourteen million USD through deceitful advertising revenue.

Also, it's necessary to vary the default word of your router, in order that it might not be doable for the assaulter to switch your router settings exploitation the default word that came with the industrial plant setting. For additional details on this subject you'll scan my alternative post on a way to Hack AN LAN ADSL Router.

Installing a decent antivirus program and keeping it up-to-date can give a good deal of protection to your laptop against any such attacks.