New DDoS Attacks Leverage TCP Amplification

From darkreading.com

Attackers over the past month have been using a rarely seen approach to disrupt services at large organizations in several countries.

Cybercriminals appear to have finally figured out a way to launch highly effective distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks using TCP amplification — something most attackers have typically avoided under the assumption it cannot be done efficiently.

Security vendor Radware this week said its researchers over the past 30 days have observed multiple criminal campaigns involving the use of a new type of TCP reflection attack against large organizations. The victims of these massive attacks include European sports gambling website Eurobet, Korea Telecom, Turkish financial services company Garanti, and SK Broadband of South Korea.

The attacks not only impacted the intended targets but also the networks that were used to generate the DDoS flood, causing a ripple effect that impacted many businesses around the world. The method of TCP reflection being used in the campaigns has made the attacks particularly hard to mitigate, Radware noted.

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