DrDoS and DDoS Attacks Involving Online Multi-player Video

1
Problems with DrDoS and DDoS Attacks Involving
Online Video Games

• www.prolexic.com

2
DDoS Attackers Use Online Video Game Servers

• The technology infrastructure that supports
  online gamers is also used for denial of service
  attacks.
• Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are
  launched against
• Fellow players
• Other businesses, including the financial
  industry
• Attacks date back to at least the 1990s.
• Gaming servers with poor security controls and
  misconfigurations contribute to the problem.

www.prolexic.com
3
Why Do They Do It?

• Criminals use gaming servers to boost the power
  of their attacks against non-gaming businesses.
• Criminals steal loginpassword combos and sell
  them on the black market.
• In-game currency, powerful profiles and
  downloaded software have real-world value.
• Gamers seek to temporarily knock competitors off
  the server to gain an in-game advantage.
• Gamers target other gaming systems to damage the
  playing experience on rival platforms.

4
A Tradition of DrDoS Attacks in Online Gaming

• DrDoS attacks in online gaming have been around
  for decades.
• It may have started with reflection attacks using
  Counter-Strike, Quake and Half Life servers.
• These servers are still used by attackers today.
• The most common form of denial of service attacks
  in gaming communities is called packeting.
• A packeting attack can target any IP address.
• Gamers reveal IP addresses of fellow players by
  using tools called resolvers.

5
DrDoS Attack Tools Use Online Gaming Servers

• Gaming-server aggregators provide a legitimate
  service for gamers looking for a server on which
  to play.
• Cyber criminals use these same aggregators as a
  source of possibly misconfigured and vulnerable
  servers.
• Attackers can increase the volume of malicious
  code directed to their intended target by
  reflecting and amplifying code off of many gaming
  servers at once.
• One tool discussed in the Prolexic white paper
  lets attackers target several types of game
  servers and vary payloads, which often target
  other industries.
• Download the white paper for specifics about a
  gaming attack against a Prolexic client in the
  financial industry.

6
Weaker Attacks Against Gaming Communities

• Weaker attacks target individual players or a
  gaming server, such as Counter-Strike or
  Minecraft.
• The attackers goal is to damage the playing
  experience or knock a competitor off a server.
• These attacks often use simple flood attacks
  without reflection or amplification.

7
Strong Attacks Against Online Gaming Comunities

• Sophisticated attacks against gaming communities
  are launched with crimeware kits.
• These kits are often rented as DDoS-as-a-service.
• Tools include stressor suites and booter scripts.
• The attackers goal is often a large disruption
  of a server or gaming platform.
• These attacks often use reflection and
  amplification to increase their damage.

8
Will Your Business Be Next?

• Any type of business may be a target without
  warning.
• DDoS and DrDoS attackers can use misconfigured
  and vulnerable online gaming servers to attack
  any industry.
• Gaming businesses are also at risk
• As a target of an attack
• Of owning servers that are used in attacks
  against others
• Prolexic has successfully mitigated attacks that
  involved gaming servers.

9
Download the Free White Paper

• Download the white paper, An Analysis of DrDoS
  and DDoS Attacks Involving the Multiplayer Video
  Gaming Community Part IV of the DrDoS White
  Paper Series at www.prolexic.com/drdos.
• The white paper includes
• Details about attacks involving gaming servers
  that harm gaming and non-gaming businesses alike
• A case study of a Prolexic customer in the
  financial industry who was the target of such a
  DrDoS attack
• Prevention tips for gaming network administrators
• Download the white paper.

10
About Prolexic

• Prolexic Technologies is the worlds largest and
  most trusted provider of DDoS protection and
  mitigation services.
• Prolexic has successfully stopped DDoS attacks
  for more than a decade.
• We can stop even the largest attacks that exceed
  the capabilities of other DDoS mitigation service
  providers.