China’s National Domain Name Root Servers Under Siege: A Record-Breaking DDOS Attack
In the early hours of August 25, China’s national domain name root servers suffered the most significant Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attack in history. The assault, which began at 2:25 am, left numerous websites and Sina Weibo, China’s popular microblogging platform, unable to log on. The China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the organization responsible for managing China’s national top-level domain registration, confirmed the situation at 10:30 am on the 25th.
The “.cn” domain name, which is open to ordinary individuals for registration, was severely impacted by the attack. The Sina Weibo client and several other websites with “.cn” domain names were unable to access the internet due to the congestion caused by the DDOS attack.
A Deluge of Traffic: The Anatomy of the Attack
At 2:25 am on August 25, the national domain name resolution node was subjected to a massive DDOS attack, resulting in a surge of traffic that was nearly 10 times the usual peak flow. This sudden influx of queries caused serious congestion on the internet’s bandwidth, leading to slow or interrupted access to affected websites.
According to preliminary estimates, the attackers used a botnet-based approach to initiate a large number of queries for a gaming PW website domain name to the .cn top-level domain name system. This type of attack is particularly challenging to mitigate, as it involves a large number of compromised devices working together to overwhelm the targeted system.
The Role of Root Name Servers
The root name server is the highest-level domain name server in the Internet Domain Name System (DNS). There are only 13 root servers worldwide, with most of them concentrated in the United States. Each root name server has a set of resolution servers that help to direct internet traffic.
As Chinese domain management expert Zhuangzhen Hong noted, the root name server is a critical component of the internet infrastructure. The attack on China’s national domain name root servers highlights the vulnerability of this critical infrastructure to DDOS attacks.
A Growing Concern: The Rise of DDOS Attacks
The DDOS attack on China’s national domain name root servers is not an isolated incident. Worldwide, attacks against root servers have occurred many times before. However, this particular attack was notable for its scale and sophistication.
As Zhuangzhen Hong pointed out, the ability of hackers to launch such attacks is improving rapidly. This trend highlights the need for comprehensive measures to ensure the normal operation of the internet infrastructure.
A Call to Action: Ensuring the Stability of the Internet
In light of the recent DDOS attack, the Ministry has called for comprehensive measures to ensure the normal operation of the internet infrastructure. This includes improving the resilience of root name servers and implementing robust security measures to prevent future attacks.
As the world becomes increasingly reliant on the internet, the need for robust and secure internet infrastructure has never been more pressing. The recent DDOS attack on China’s national domain name root servers serves as a reminder of the importance of this issue and the need for continued vigilance and innovation in the field of internet security.