Source URL: https://delroth.net/posts/spoofed-mass-scan-abuse/
Source: Hacker News
Title: How to get the whole planet to send abuse complaints to your best friends
Feedly Summary: Comments
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The text describes a cybersecurity incident where the author received an abuse report linked to their server’s IP, suggesting potential involvement in malicious activities. Upon investigation, the author discovered that their server was not compromised but rather that their IP was being spoofed in a broader attack, potentially targeting the Tor network.
Detailed Description:
The article begins with the author receiving a distressing email concerning an abuse complaint related to their server’s IP address (195.201.9.37). Initially alarmed, the author conducts a thorough investigation into their server’s activity to determine if it has been compromised. Below are the key points and insights from the investigation:
– **Initial Alarm**:
– The author received an automated complaint about potential malicious activity originating from their server.
– The log indicated numerous denied outgoing SSH connections, which usually suggests malware activity.
– **Investigation Findings**:
– After checking various services (including a Tor relay), the author found no indications of malpractice on the server.
– Monitoring with `tcpdump` revealed that no malicious packets were being sent out from their server; instead, random external IPs were sending TCP reset packets to the author’s IP.
– **Understanding IP Spoofing**:
– The author explains IP spoofing, where packets are sent with a fake source IP. They highlighted that while Internet Service Providers (ISPs) may enforce best practices, many still fail to implement BCP38, which leads to unfiltered traffic routing.
– Despite the various connectivity issues spoofing can create (e.g., it complicates DDoS attacks), there are still vectors and techniques that exploit this vulnerability.
– **Hypothesis of the Attack**:
– The author speculated that the spoofing incident might be deliberately targeting their Tor relay or other nodes to induce abuse complaints that could lead to a shutdown of these nodes.
– Additional investigation across different relays confirmed similar spoof patterns, indicating a broader issue.
– **Community Impact**:
– The article points out the community responsibility of maintaining a safe and secure online environment and addresses the negligence related to the implementation of IP filtering.
– The author expresses frustration with the state of online security, noting that such vulnerabilities have persisted for decades without significant improvement.
– **Practical Advice**:
– The author provides insights for others who may face similar abuse complaints, suggesting they should investigate their server traffic and be prepared to explain the spoofing issue to their hosting providers.
In conclusion, the text serves as a cautionary tale about the ongoing challenges with network security practices. It emphasizes the need for better network security measures like BCP38 and reinforces the understanding that users can become victims of malicious tactics that exploit systemic failures in Internet security protocols. Security professionals must remain vigilant and educated about these emerging threats and techniques to mitigate risks effectively.