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The Mirai Botnet: How It Changed IoT Security Forever

The Mirai Botnet: How It Changed IoT Security Forever

7 min read 1453 words 2 months ago

Mirai scanned for IoT devices with default credentials and built a botnet that took down half the internet.

The Mirai Botnet: How It Changed IoT Security Forever

7 min read 1453 words 2 months ago

Mirai scanned for IoT devices with default credentials and built a botnet that took down half the internet.

The KARMA Attack: How It Exploited WiFi Probe Requests

The KARMA Attack: How It Exploited WiFi Probe Requests

7 min read 1586 words 2 months ago

In 2004, KARMA demonstrated that responding to every WiFi probe request could capture connections automatically.

The KARMA Attack: How It Exploited WiFi Probe Requests

7 min read 1586 words 2 months ago

In 2004, KARMA demonstrated that responding to every WiFi probe request could capture connections automatically.

Cover image for DD20

NetBIOS and LLMNR: The Protocols That Keep Getting Abused

7 min read 1614 words 2 months ago

NetBIOS and LLMNR broadcast name queries before trying DNS. Responder.py answers them all and captures NTLMv2 hashes.

NetBIOS and LLMNR: The Protocols That Keep Getting Abused

7 min read 1614 words 2 months ago

NetBIOS and LLMNR broadcast name queries before trying DNS. Responder.py answers them all and captures NTLMv2 hashes.

Cover image for DD19

What Is SNMP and Why It Leaks Data

7 min read 1448 words 2 months ago

SNMP manages network devices but leaks topology, configs, and credentials in cleartext. Here's the full security picture.

What Is SNMP and Why It Leaks Data

7 min read 1448 words 2 months ago

SNMP manages network devices but leaks topology, configs, and credentials in cleartext. Here's the full security picture.

Cover image for DD18

How SSH Works and Secures Connections

7 min read 1497 words 2 months ago

SSH provides encrypted remote access to servers. Here's the key exchange, authentication flow, and common security failures.

How SSH Works and Secures Connections

7 min read 1497 words 2 months ago

SSH provides encrypted remote access to servers. Here's the key exchange, authentication flow, and common security failures.

Cover image for DD17

What Is RDP and Its Common Vulnerabilities

6 min read 1271 words 2 months ago

Remote Desktop Protocol on port 3389 is one of the most attacked services on the internet. Here's why and how to protect it.

What Is RDP and Its Common Vulnerabilities

6 min read 1271 words 2 months ago

Remote Desktop Protocol on port 3389 is one of the most attacked services on the internet. Here's why and how to protect it.

Cover image for DD16

What Is SMB and the EternalBlue Vulnerability

6 min read 1365 words 2 months ago

SMB handles Windows file sharing. EternalBlue turned it into the most devastating exploit vector of the decade.

What Is SMB and the EternalBlue Vulnerability

6 min read 1365 words 2 months ago

SMB handles Windows file sharing. EternalBlue turned it into the most devastating exploit vector of the decade.

Cover image for DD15

What Is UPnP and Why Should You Disable It?

6 min read 1292 words 2 months ago

UPnP lets devices open firewall ports automatically. That convenience creates holes you never asked for.

What Is UPnP and Why Should You Disable It?

6 min read 1292 words 2 months ago

UPnP lets devices open firewall ports automatically. That convenience creates holes you never asked for.

Cover image for DD14

What Is SSDP and Why Is It a Security Problem?

6 min read 1192 words 2 months ago

SSDP discovers UPnP devices on your network. Unfortunately, millions of devices also respond to the entire internet.

What Is SSDP and Why Is It a Security Problem?

6 min read 1192 words 2 months ago

SSDP discovers UPnP devices on your network. Unfortunately, millions of devices also respond to the entire internet.

Cover image for DD13

What Is mDNS / Bonjour?

7 min read 1443 words 2 months ago

mDNS lets devices find each other on a local network without a DNS server. Here's how Apple Bonjour and Avahi use it.

What Is mDNS / Bonjour?

7 min read 1443 words 2 months ago

mDNS lets devices find each other on a local network without a DNS server. Here's how Apple Bonjour and Avahi use it.

Cover image for DD12

What Is HTTP/3?

6 min read 1356 words 2 months ago

HTTP/3 runs over QUIC instead of TCP. Here's why TCP's head-of-line blocking problem motivated the change.

What Is HTTP/3?

6 min read 1356 words 2 months ago

HTTP/3 runs over QUIC instead of TCP. Here's why TCP's head-of-line blocking problem motivated the change.

Cover image for DD11

What Is QUIC?

7 min read 1489 words 2 months ago

QUIC runs over UDP with built-in TLS 1.3 encryption. Here's how it works and why it's replacing TCP for web traffic.

What Is QUIC?

7 min read 1489 words 2 months ago

QUIC runs over UDP with built-in TLS 1.3 encryption. Here's how it works and why it's replacing TCP for web traffic.

How IPv6 Works - cover image

How IPv6 Works

8 min read 1785 words 2 months ago

IPv6 replaces ARP with NDP, eliminates NAT, and changes the security model. Here's how the 128-bit protocol works.

How IPv6 Works

8 min read 1785 words 2 months ago

IPv6 replaces ARP with NDP, eliminates NAT, and changes the security model. Here's how the 128-bit protocol works.

How NAT Works A Deep Dive - cover image

How NAT Works: A Deep Dive

8 min read 1743 words 2 months ago

NAT lets your entire network share one public IP. Here's the translation table, port mapping, and the P2P problems it creates.

How NAT Works: A Deep Dive

8 min read 1743 words 2 months ago

NAT lets your entire network share one public IP. Here's the translation table, port mapping, and the P2P problems it creates.

How Traceroute Works - cover image

How Traceroute Works

7 min read 1506 words 2 months ago

Traceroute maps the path packets take by manipulating TTL to trigger responses from each router along the way.

How Traceroute Works

7 min read 1506 words 2 months ago

Traceroute maps the path packets take by manipulating TTL to trigger responses from each router along the way.

How ICMP and Ping Work - cover image

How ICMP and Ping Work

7 min read 1572 words 2 months ago

ICMP carries diagnostic messages across IP networks. Ping uses it to test reachability. Here's the full protocol.

How ICMP and Ping Work

7 min read 1572 words 2 months ago

ICMP carries diagnostic messages across IP networks. Ping uses it to test reachability. Here's the full protocol.

How ARP Works and Why It Enables Spoofing - cover image

How ARP Works and Why It Enables Spoofing

7 min read 1434 words 2 months ago

ARP maps IP addresses to MAC addresses with no authentication. That design flaw is why ARP spoofing still works on every LAN.

How ARP Works and Why It Enables Spoofing

7 min read 1434 words 2 months ago

ARP maps IP addresses to MAC addresses with no authentication. That design flaw is why ARP spoofing still works on every LAN.

How DHCP Works The Full Exchange - cover image

How DHCP Works: The Full Exchange

7 min read 1501 words 2 months ago

The four-step DORA process that gives every device an IP address - Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge in detail.

How DHCP Works: The Full Exchange

7 min read 1501 words 2 months ago

The four-step DORA process that gives every device an IP address - Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge in detail.

How DNS Works A Deep Dive - cover image

How DNS Works: A Deep Dive

7 min read 1653 words 2 months ago

The full DNS resolution chain from stub resolver to root servers, with caching, TTL, negative caching, and DNSSEC.

How DNS Works: A Deep Dive

7 min read 1653 words 2 months ago

The full DNS resolution chain from stub resolver to root servers, with caching, TTL, negative caching, and DNSSEC.

How WebSockets Work - cover image

How WebSockets Work

7 min read 1618 words 2 months ago

WebSockets upgrade an HTTP connection to full-duplex communication. Here's the handshake, framing, and why the Nano uses them.

How WebSockets Work

7 min read 1618 words 2 months ago

WebSockets upgrade an HTTP connection to full-duplex communication. Here's the handshake, framing, and why the Nano uses them.

How HTTPS and TLS Work Step by Step - cover image

How HTTPS and TLS Work Step by Step

7 min read 1593 words 2 months ago

The complete HTTPS flow from TCP connection to encrypted data - the TLS handshake, certificates, and session key derivation.

How HTTPS and TLS Work Step by Step

7 min read 1593 words 2 months ago

The complete HTTPS flow from TCP connection to encrypted data - the TLS handshake, certificates, and session key derivation.

How HTTP Works - cover image

How HTTP Works

7 min read 1617 words 2 months ago

HTTP is the protocol behind every web page. Here's the full request-response cycle and why it was designed stateless.

How HTTP Works

7 min read 1617 words 2 months ago

HTTP is the protocol behind every web page. Here's the full request-response cycle and why it was designed stateless.

Router Hardening Checklist - Ten steps to a secure router

Router Hardening Checklist

8 min read 1732 words 2 months ago

A practical, actionable checklist for securing your router. Ten steps that make a real difference.

Router Hardening Checklist

8 min read 1732 words 2 months ago

A practical, actionable checklist for securing your router. Ten steps that make a real difference.

Why Updating Your Router Firmware Matters - Router CVEs are public knowledge

Why Updating Your Router Firmware Matters

7 min read 1604 words 2 months ago

Router CVEs are publicly known once disclosed. If you haven't updated, you're running known-vulnerable software.

Why Updating Your Router Firmware Matters

7 min read 1604 words 2 months ago

Router CVEs are publicly known once disclosed. If you haven't updated, you're running known-vulnerable software.