The KeyTrap Denial-of-Service Algorithmic Complexity Attacks On DNS

In this paper, the authors show that the design of DNSSEC is flawed. Exploiting vulnerable recommendations in the DNSSEC standards, they developed a new class of DNSSEC-based algorithmic complexity attacks on DNS, they dubbed KeyTrap attacks. All popular DNS implementations and services are vulnerable. With just a single DNS packet, the KeyTrap attacks lead to a 2.000.000x spike in CPU instruction count in vulnerable DNS resolvers, stalling some for as long as 16 hours. This devastating effect prompted major DNS …

attacks authors class complexity design dns dnssec exploiting keytrap packet popular recommendations service services single standards vulnerable