A security researcher has found a serious vulnerability in an aging yet widely used software program used for the Internet's addressing system, prompting the software's maintainers to retire the affected version.
The flaw within Berkeley Internet Name Domain 8 (Bind 8) software could misdirect users to a fraudulent Web site even if a user typed in the correct URL (uniform resource locator), wrote Amit Klein, chief technology officer for security vendor Trusteer. Klein discovered the problem.
Users are being advised to upgrade to Bind 9.4, the latest version of the software, which underwent an architecture rewrite to improve security. The software, looked after by the Internet Software Consortium (ISC), is free to download.
ISC issued an interim patch, but due to other weaknesses in the software, ISC is also ending support for Bind 8.
"It's never easy to retire a product," wrote the organization in an advisory. "The security issues of Bind 8 are many, and seven years after the release of Bind 9, ISC must devote our efforts to maintaining and enhancing the current version."
About 14 percent of the DNS servers on the Internet in 2006 were still using Bind 8, according to Infoblox, which conducts an annual survey of DNS servers.
"Bind 8 is still a very popular DNS server nowadays, thus this attack applies to a big part of Internet users," Klein wrote.
In a research paper, Klein described a weakness in the algorithm Bind 8 uses to generate transaction IDs, apparently random serial numbers that allow it to spot whether someone is trying to supply it with false information in respose to queries. The weakness makes it possible to observe a few queries and then predict the transaction ID in the sequence, Klein wrote.
Using that information, an attacker can then send erroneous information to the DNS server, "poisoning" the address stored against a particular domain name in its memory cache. Thus, traffic intended for a certain Web site from users of that DNS server can be diverted to another server containing a fraudulent site, a deception known as "pharming."
Although Bind 9 has a better transaction ID algorithm, it could also be vulnerable, Klein wrote.
This whitepaper explains the terminology and concepts behind Data Replication technologies and establishes some sizing rules through worked examples. Learn the new paradigm in disaster tolerance—protect data anywhere.
Download now »
Server virtualization is a popular option for dealing with mounting datacenter costs. Another equally promising approach is the use of an Application Delivery Controller. Citrix NetScaler provides a low-cost way for organizations to reduce their server count and accrue cost savings from a reduction in space, cooling, power and personnel.
Download now »
The emergence of WLANs has created a new breed of security threats to enterprise networks.
Included in HP ProCurve WLAN solutions is security technology that alleviates threats from WLANs through:
* Monitoring wireless activity inside and out of the enterprise
* Classifying WLAN transmissions into harmful and harmless
* Preventing transmissions that pose a security threat to the enterprise network
* Locating participating devices for physical remediation
Effectively address data protection challenges, implementing solutions that help store and protect business–critical data while cutting costs and improving efficiency and reliability.
Download now »
Sign up to receive Security Resource Alerts
This white paper provides guidance on how to develop a strategic approach to managing and monitoring logs, a key function required for compliance with many regulatory mandates and a critical defense against security threats.
Download now! »
Learn about the processes and technologies that support security information management (SIM) operations, as well as the business case for SIM. The series examines different options for implementing SIM and gives you evaluation criteria for selecting the best option for your organization.
Download now! »
Learn the strategies, actions, and capabilities that Best-in-Class organizations employ and technologies they choose to obtain superior performance against various security performance metrics. This report provides guidelines for identifying which security solutions to consume as a MSS and defines best practices for choosing and managing MSSPs.
Download now! »
Recommend This
