{"id":8789,"date":"2023-02-16T16:58:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T11:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/?p=8789"},"modified":"2024-08-12T16:10:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T10:40:02","slug":"dns-tunneling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>DNS Tunneling: Everything You Wanted to Know<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cybercriminals can exploit the Domain Name System (DNS), a trustworthy and frequently used system on the internet. However, threat actors use it as a weapon and it is called DNS tunneling. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNS tunneling allows <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hackers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to carry out their attacks through <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> DNS. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without it<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we would <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">never<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have been able to find websites on the Internet. It simply translates human-friendly URLs to IP addresses.<\/span><\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #414141;color:#414141\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#What_is_DNS\" >What is DNS?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_People_Security_Expert\" >Book a Free Demo Call with Our People Security Expert<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Enter_your_details\" >Enter your details<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#What_is_DNS_Tunneling\" >What is DNS Tunneling?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#DNS_Tunnelling_History\" >DNS Tunnelling History<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#How_Does_DNS_Tunneling_Work\" >How Does DNS Tunneling Work?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Recent_Example\" >Recent Example<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#How_to_Prevent_DNS_Tunneling_Attacks\" >How to Prevent DNS Tunneling Attacks?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Employee_Awareness\" >Employee Awareness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Add_Layers_of_Security\" >Add Layers of Security<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#DNS_Filtering\" >DNS Filtering<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Behavioral_analytics\" >Behavioral analytics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Taking_care_of_underlying_scenarios\" >Taking care of underlying scenarios<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#Final_Thoughts_DNS_Tunneling\" >Final Thoughts: DNS Tunneling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/dns-tunneling\/#FAQs_DNS_Tunneling\" >FAQs: DNS Tunneling<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNS tunneling allows attackers to collect sensitive data from the website. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s first discuss what is DNS tunneling and how it operates.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n      @media print, screen and (max-width: 63.99875em){\n      .tnp-submit\n      width: 48%;\n      }\n      .wp-block-tnp-minimal{\n      padding: 20px;\n      }\n      .blog_para\n      margin-top: 4px !important;\n      line-height: 25px !important;\n      font-size: 15px !important;\n      }\n\n      }\n      .blog_para{\n      font-family: jost,sans-serif;\n      margin-top: 14px;\n      margin-bottom: 30px;\n      color: #fff;\n      font-size: 15px !important;\n      color: black !important;\n\n      }\n\n      .wp-block-tnp-minimal{\n      padding:20px;\n      border: 1px solid grey;\n      }\n\n      .tnp-submit a{\n        background: #1d58c7!important;\n    border-radius: 5px!important;\n    text-transform: inherit!important;\n    padding: 8px 25px!important;\n    font-weight: 600!important;\n    color: 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url('https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/marketing\/linkedinlowerbanner.webp'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; background-position: center; \">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"colLeft\">\n<p class=\"blog_get\" style=\"font-family: 'Poppins' !important; color: white !important\">Subscribe to Our Newsletter On Linkedin<\/p>\n<p class=\"blog_para\" style=\"font-size: 16px;font-family: 'Poppins' !important; color: white !important; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 28px;line-height: 25px;\">Sign up to Stay Tuned with the Latest Cyber Security News and Updates<\/p>\n\n<div>\n<div class=\"tnp\" style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\">\n            <form action=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/newsletter-thank-you\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\">\n<div class=\"tnp-submit\">\n                  <a class=\"libutton\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/build-relation\/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7062043746430783488\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Subscribe<\/a><\/div>\n<\/form><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"colRight\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"tnp tnp-subscription-minimal \">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/marketing\/newsletter-icon.webp\" class=\"img-fluid\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_DNS\"><\/span><b>What is DNS?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span> Domain Name System<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or <\/span>DNS<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is an internet protocol that translates URLs to IP addresses. These IP addresses are machine-friendly, so you can access the websites you want. It is a global naming database. We would still be accessing websites using IP addresses with several dots in between if there were no DNS.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS allows you to find websites without remembering long number strings. Presently, we use smartphones to save simple 10-digit numbers, which our parents might memorize in a go. If we cannot remember these small numbers, IP addresses are way too confusing for a human brain.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html lang=\"en\">\n\n<head>\n    <meta charset=\"UTF-8\">\n    <meta http-equiv=\"X-UA-Compatible\" content=\"IE=edge\">\n    <meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0\">\n    <title>Document<\/title>\n<\/head>\n\n<style>\n    .interestedBtn {\n        width: 80% !important;\n        box-sizing: border-box !important;\n        display: inline-block !important;\n        padding: 11px !important;\n        border: 1px !important;\n        border-color: #ddd !important;\n        margin-top: 10px !important;\n        background-color: #183e8b !important;\n        background-image: none !important;\n        text-shadow: none !important;\n        color: #fff !important;\n        font-size: 14px !important;\n        line-height: 20px !important;\n        border-radius: 5px !important;\n        margin: 0 !important;\n        cursor: pointer !important;\n        box-shadow: 0px 4.66px 22.99px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.10);;\n    }\n\n\n        .formSec .formSecTwo{\n            padding-top: 15px !important;\n            margin-bottom: 30px !important;\n        }\n\n\n    .tnp-email {\n        width: 80% !important;\n        box-sizing: border-box;\n        padding: 8px 10px;\n        display: inline-block;\n        border: 1px solid #ced4da;\n        background: #fff;\n        color: #000 !important;\n        font-size: 13px;\n        line-height: 20px;\n        border-radius: 2px;\n        padding-right: 30px;\n        margin-bottom: 0px;\n    }\n\n    .formSec {\n        border: 1px solid #ced4da;\n        float: left !important;\n        width: 55% !important;\n    }\n\n    .mainBox {\n       \/* border: 1px solid #183e8b;*\/\n         background: white;\n        max-width: 600px !important;\n        margin: 0 auto !important;\n        padding: 20px !important;\n        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif !important;\n    }\n\n    .boxDiv {\n        display: flex !important;\n    }\n\n    .boxConsult {\n        float: left !important;\n        width: 45% !important;\n        padding: 10px !important;\n    }\n\n    .formSecTwo {\n        text-align:center !important;\n        width: 100% !important;\n    }\n\n    .formHeading {\n        font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;\n        margin-top: 0px;\n        font-weight: 700;\n        line-height: 25px;\n        font-size: 18px !important;\n        \n       margin-bottom: 60px !important;\n       color: #000!important;\n          margin-top: 5px !important;\n    }\n\n    .fieldHeading {\n        margin: 0 !important;\n        font-size: 13px !important;\n        text-align: left !important;\n        margin: 0px 39px 2px 93px !important;\n        font-weight: 500 !important;\n    }\n\n    .image {\n        max-width:90% !important;\n        height: auto !important;\n    }\n\n     .email-icon {\n            position: absolute;\n            right: 50px;\n             top: 20px;\n            transform: translateY(-50%);\n            pointer-events: none; \n        }\n\n          .email-container{\n             position: relative;\n         \n        }\n       \n\n        .email-icon img{\n                 width: 15px;\n        }\n\n\n         input::placeholder {\n            color:#495057;\n        }\n\n\n     ::placeholder {\n        color: #495057;\n    }\n\n        ::-ms-input-placeholder { \n          color:#495057;\n        }\n\n\n        input:-webkit-autofill {\n            background-color: transparent !important;\n            -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 0px 1000px white inset !important; \n            box-shadow: 0 0 0px 1000px white inset !important;\n            color: #495057 !important; \n        }\n\n        \n        input {\n            color:#495057 !important;\n        }\n\n\n    @media screen and (max-width: 480px) {\n        .boxDiv {\n            display: block !important;\n            padding: 15px !important;\n         \n        }\n\n        .image{\n        width: 80% !important;\n         margin-bottom: 14px;\n        }\n        .fieldHeading {\n            text-align: left !important;\n            margin: unset !important;\n        }\n\n        .boxConsult {\n            width: unset !important;\n            float: none !important;\n        }\n\n        .mainBox {\n            border: unset !important;\n        }\n\n        .formSec {\n            float: unset !important;\n            width: 100% !important;\n        }\n\n        .formSecTwo {\n            text-align: center !important;\n        }\n\n        .tnp-email {\n            width: 90% !important;\n        }\n\n        .formHeading {\n            margin-bottom: unset !important;\n        }\n\n         .email-icon {\n            position: absolute;\n            right: 25px;\n            top: 58%;\n            transform: translateY(-50%);\n            pointer-events: none; \/* Make sure the icon doesn't block clicking on the input *\/\n        }\n       \n        .email-container{\n             position: relative;\n        }\n\n    }\n<\/style>\n\n<body>\n\n    <div class=\"mainBox\" box-sizing:=\"\" border-box;=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"boxDiv\">\n\n            <div class=\"boxConsult\">\n                <div>\n                    <h3 class=\"formHeading\" style=\" font-size: 16px !important;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Book_a_Free_Demo_Call_with_Our_People_Security_Expert\"><\/span>\n                        Book a Free Demo Call with Our People Security Expert<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n                <\/div>\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/form.svg\" class=\"image\">\n            <\/div>\n\n            <div class=\"formSec\">\n                <div class=\" formSecTwo\">\n                    <h4 style=\"margin-top: 0; font-size: 16px !important;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Enter_your_details\"><\/span>Enter your details<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n                    <div class=\"tnp tnp-subscription-minimal\">\n                        <form action=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/thankyou-blog\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\">\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n\n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"text\" required=\"\" name=\"FullName\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Full Name\">\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon01.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"email\" required=\"\" name=\"email\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Corporate Email Id\">\n                                     <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon02.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\" style=\"margin-bottom:20px;\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"text\" required=\"\" name=\"CompanyName\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Company Name\">\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon03.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n\n                            <\/div>\n\n                            <div class=\"email-container\">\n                               \n                                <input class=\"tnp-email\" type=\"number\" required=\"\" name=\"Phone\" value=\"\"\n                                    placeholder=\"Phone No.\"><br>\n                                    <span class=\"email-icon\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/awareness.threatcop.ai\/threatcop_blog\/icon04.svg\" class=\"img-fluid\" \/><\/span>\n                            <\/div>\n                            <input type=\"hidden\" name=\"BlogForm\" value=\"BlogForm\"><br>\n                            <input class=\"tnp-submit interestedBtn\" name=\"submit\" type=\"submit\"\n                                value=\"SUBMIT\">\n\n                        <\/form>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n<\/body>\n\n<\/html>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS helps us convert these number strings into words we can remember, called domains. Therefore, companies also rely on and trust DNS traffic more than other protocols. One of the reasons is that the company wants its employees to reach external domains and external users to find their domains. Therefore, it is crucial for the company to allow this traffic through its firewalls.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">However, once the traffic enters the firewall without any filtering, the process of DNS tunneling starts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_DNS_Tunneling\"><\/span><b>What is DNS Tunneling?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNS<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a more reliable protocol, you cannot rule out the possibility of using it as a weapon. This reliability has itself given birth to the phenomenon called DNS tunneling. What does DNS tunneling do? It implements a command-and-control channel using DNS requests.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Once this command-and-control channel is established, it becomes easy for the attacker. It is no different than a friend taking advantage of your trust. Since you trust this person, you tell them everything, and then you realize that your \u201cfriend\u201d is spilling the beans all over the place.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">These command-and-control channels are set up to monitor your traffic so the threat computer can start extracting data and carrying commands from inbound traffic to the threat system.&nbsp;Data exfiltration is a process in which a malware or threat computer starts an unauthorized data transfer.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Now, DNS is a very flexible protocol. There are hardly any limitations to what kind of data can be sent since it is designed for finding website domain names. These requests go to the attacker&#8217;s DNS servers, which then respond with the corresponding DNS replies.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These DNS queries&#8217; hostnames are prepended with payload data. with the help of the RDATA field of different DNS RR (Resource Record) types. The most commonly used DNS tunneling records are NULL, CNAME, and <\/span><span style=\"color: #183994;\"><a style=\"color: #183994;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/txt-record-checker\"><b>TXT records<\/b><\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DNS_Tunnelling_History\"><\/span><b>DNS Tunnelling History<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The topic of DNS tunneling was originally brought up in the late 1990s, and by 2004. Ozyma DNS, one of the earliest tools for DNS tunneling, was created by <\/span><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/dankaminsky.com\/2004\/07\/29\/51\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span style=\"color: #183994;\">Kaminsky<\/span><\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Since then, many more have been produced, but the fundamental approach has mostly not changed.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Now that you know what DNS tunneling is, let&#8217;s understand how it works.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_DNS_Tunneling_Work\"><\/span><b>How Does DNS Tunneling Work?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS tunneling exploits the DNS protocol by attaching malicious payloads to DNS responses. All the implementations are done through the client-server model. If you are looking forward to understanding how DNS tunneling works, keep reading.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The attacker first registers a domain like \u201cabc.com.\u201d This domain name is pointed toward the attacker\u2019s server. On this server, malware\/malware software is installed. This malware program is a tunneling malware that will do the job for the attacker.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Once the systems are ready to carry out the attack, the attacker infects a system that is protected by firewalls. The malware affects the system and starts its work. As we mentioned earlier, DNS traffic is more reliable, firewalls allow such traffic to move inside the system and outside of it.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">This DNS query is sent to a DNS resolver that further relays the requests to root and top-level domain servers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Once the query is shot, the resolver will resolve the query and send the resolution to the attacker\u2019s server. On this server, the tunneling malware is installed. Like a client-server model, a connection is established between the victim&#8217;s computer and the attacker.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The tunneling software creates a tunnel through which all the information is either exfiltrated or malicious programs are supplied.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image wp-image-8793 size-full\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"338\" src=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/DNS-Tunneling-Works.jpg\" alt=\"DNS Tunneling Works\" class=\"wp-image-8793\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">(Source: Hackers Terminal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recent_Example\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Recent Example<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNS Tunneling uses Morto and Feederbot Malware. The most recent example of DNS tunneling is an attack on <\/span><b>government entities in the Middle East in 2018 from the <\/b><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/cyware.com\/news\/darkhydrus-new-hacker-group-targeting-middle-east-government-agency-using-malicious-iqy-files-cae723c6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span style=\"color: #183994;\">DarkHydrus<\/span><\/b><\/a><b> threat group.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SolarWinds was the victim of a highly sneaky cyber attack in 2021 that employed DNS tunneling to go unnoticed for 8 months. With this incident, <\/span><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.natlawreview.com\/article\/solarwinds-insured-losses-estimated-90-million\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><span style=\"color: #183994;\">SolarWind<\/span><\/b><\/a><b> is currently expecting damages of over $90 million.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Prevent_DNS_Tunneling_Attacks\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>How to Prevent DNS Tunneling Attacks?<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS tunneling is one of the most critical attacks in cybersecurity. This is because it leverages the reliability of DNS traffic to exfiltrate data from victim computers. Therefore, it is important to take a few preventive steps, so your data is safe, and you do not become a victim of DNS tunneling. Here are a few things you can do to prevent DNS tunneling.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Employee_Awareness\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Employee A<\/b><b>wareness<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the very first steps you need to take as a business entity is to educate and spread awareness. Cybersecurity is a critical subject, but awareness of these attacks is very low. Try and explain to your employees, clients, and other stakeholders its importance. Tell them what to expect and how they can make better decisions to prevent DNS tunneling attacks.<\/span> <a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/security-awareness-training-for-employees\/\"><b><span style=\"color: #183994;\">Employee security awareness training<\/span><\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the first line of defense against cyber threats.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The more efforts are taken to create an aware environment, the more will be the chances of preventing DNS attacks.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Add_Layers_of_Security\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Add Layers of Security<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might have assembled one of the best security teams for handling cyber attacks, but sometimes <\/span><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/threatcop.com\/blog\/top-5-cyber-attacks-and-security-breaches-due-to-human-error\/\"><b><span style=\"color: #183994;\">human error<\/span><\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> does play a role. Therefore, it is better to have an extra set of eyes through third-party tools. These tools are purposefully made to help you track and detect attacks that are sometimes invisible to the human eye. This is where the reliability factor can be eliminated since the machine treats all traffic the same, as a suspect.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"DNS_Filtering\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>DNS Filtering<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Education is one thing; putting it into practice is another. DNS is a reliable protocol. We are repeating this because it is important to understand that DNS tunneling leverages the reliability factor of the DNS protocol. Due to this, the DNS traffic easily enters the firewall. It is, therefore, recommended that you use DNS filtering to ensure that only trusted traffic enters your network.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Here are a few things a good DNS filtering system should have:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Ability to detect phishing attacks\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Filter traffic by comparing the domains to the list of malicious domains<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Detect and inform unusual DNS traffic patterns.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS filtering will also help you understand the traffic that is reliable or unreliable as it enters your network. Once you have the data and know the patterns, we can take the next step.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Behavioral_analytics\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Behavioral analytics<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">One of the ways we distinguish between normal and abnormal human behavior is by figuring out a pattern. That\u2019s how we know if someone is suspicious of us when they are sick or if they are having a heart attack. You can put this into play for your systems too. This is called behavioral analytics. You can use machine learning techniques and human monitoring in tandem to understand DNS traffic patterns.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">If you do not know how normal DNS traffic looks, you will never be able to differentiate between unusual DNS requests.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taking_care_of_underlying_scenarios\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Taking care of underlying scenarios<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once a connection is established between the victim&#8217;s computer and the attacker&#8217;s computer, DNS tunneling uses malware to hack a system and exfiltrate data.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> So, the first big step to preventing DNS tunneling is to take care of small things like installing anti-malware software, antivirus software, and firewall technology. So, it is best to invest in a DNS-specific firewall.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Once this is done, you can quickly identify illegitimate traffic and stop DNS tunneling from happening.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts_DNS_Tunneling\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Final Thoughts: DNS Tunneling<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">DNS tunneling is a serious online security risk. It might have really detrimental effects. This is due to the cybercriminal\u2019s usage of the tunnel for nefarious purposes like data exfiltration. In addition, there isn\u2019t any direct connection between the target and the hacker. As a result, it makes it challenging to spot the hacker\u2019s attempt.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Well, this is a lot to digest if you are someone who has never heard of DNS tunneling. But think about it. If you have someone or something that can take care of DNS attacks like a pro, that will make for an amazing teammate. DNS attacks are critical, and businesses should have a mechanism in place to tackle them. Not only that, but an aware environment can also help you keep your information safe and secure your IT assets from DNS attacks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_DNS_Tunneling\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>FAQs: DNS Tunneling<\/b><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676546784716\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Why do Attackers Use DNS Tunneling?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Data exfiltration and other illegal activities can be accomplished with DNS tunneling. It is more difficult to detect because there is no direct link between the target and the hacker.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676546803822\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What Should a Cybersecurity Analyst Look for to Detect DNS Tunneling?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">DNS tunnels can be found by looking at a single DNS payload or by looking at traffic statistics like request count and frequency. Using a single request, malicious activity can be found via payload analysis.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1676546818680\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are the DNS Tunneling Vulnerabilities?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Threat actors can gain remote access to a targeted server by compromising network connectivity with DNS tunneling techniques, for example. Threat actors may utilize further DNS attacks to bring down systems, steal information, direct visitors to phony websites, and launch DDoS operations.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cybercriminals can exploit the Domain Name System (DNS), a trustworthy and frequently used system on the internet. However, threat actors use it as a weapon and it is called DNS tunneling. DNS tunneling allows hackers to carry out their attacks through the DNS. Without it, we would never have been able to find websites on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is DNS Tunneling: Prevention, &amp; Working | Threatcop<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"DNS tunneling is a dangerous attack that leverages the DNS protocol to bypass security controls and transfer data. 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