Fragmented distribution attack
Fragmented distribution attack in computer security is a malware or virus distribution technique aiming at bypassing protection systems by sending fragments of code over the network.
This technique was first described in a paper published at the Virus Bulletin 2009 annual conference by Anoirel Issa, malware analyst for Symantec Hosted Services, formerly MessageLabs.
Method of attack
A malware is split into several fragments and embedded in an innocent file, and these segments are sent over a protected network. The fragmented malware successfully bypasses firewalls, IDS and anti-virus software undetected, then is re-assembled on the victim's system. The re-assembler is a separate program, which is not necessarily malware; thus, it can evade security measures, locate malware fragment carriers, and pre-assemble the malware in memory. The re-assembler may write the code to disk then execute the re-assembled code either in memory or on disk.
Consequences
If successfully achieved, an FDA attack can result in some serious consequences, depending on the victim's level of protection. Consequences are not easily predictable but can lead to:
- Data and intellectual property leakage
- Government, military, and industrial espionage
- Irreversible financial losses
External links
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