Internet security provider Cloudflare said that it has recently blocked the largest DDoS attack in recorded history, with one of its clients being targeted by a massive cyber assault that saw its IP address flooded with 7.3 Tbps of junk traffic. The total amount of data sent to the target was 37.4 terabytes, which might not seem incredible at first glance, says The Cloudflare Blog. However, the speed at which the amount of data is served is astounding, as it was all sent over in less than a minute. In context, 37.4TB translates roughly to 9,350 high-definition movies, over 9 million songs, or 12.5 million photos — transferred in just 45 seconds.
The attackers used multiple attack vectors, primarily exploiting User Datagram Protocol (UDP for its quick delivery method versus the usual TCP that most internet traffic uses. UDP is preferred in applications that require real-time response, such as video streaming, online gaming, and virtual meetings. That’s because it does not wait for the two devices talking over the internet to have a proper handshake. Instead, it sends the data and hopes the other party receives it. Because of this, UDP flood attacks are one of the most common tools in DDoS campaigns.
The threat actors also used reflection attacks to supplement their main push. This is also called a reflection/amplification attack, as it spoofs the target’s IP address and then requests information from a third-party, which can be a Network Time Protocol service or through the Quote of the Day (QOTD) or Echo protocols. The third party would then respond with the appropriate data and send it to the victim's address. If the attacker sends enough requests, it could overwhelm the target IP unless it uses proper protection.
