FTP Brute Force attack blocked only after 13 seconds

hnederstigt — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:21:46 GMT

Hello,

Two months ago we correctly set up a rule to block Brute Force attacks on our FTP server in DMZ.

The related information can be found here: https://live.paloaltonetworks.com/message/16977#16977

We tested it manually by just entering wrong passwords quickly for the FTP server and after 10 attempts we were blocked from our own FTP server.

The config seemed to be working.

Last week had a real brute force attack on our FTP server in DMZ.

A total of 302 attempts were made in 13 seconds before it was blocked.

According to the documentation I've read it should be blocked after 10 attempts.

I can't find out why it was only blocked after 302 attempts and after 13 seconds.

If anyone could tell me why this happens I would very much appriciate it.

Thanks in advance,

Hans.

Re: FTP Brute Force attack blocked only after 13 seconds

mikand — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 22:40:47 GMT

This is why continous tcpdump is nice to have 🙂

First I would verify if the srcip is the same for all 302 attempts.

Second I would guess they was sent with 100 or so concurrent connections which I guess could end up with an situation where more attempts has passed through before the srcip was cut off totally.

I mean the attack was not (just guessing):

connect

...

but rather

connect

...

....

Edit: As a sidenote most FTP servers have such "anti-hammering" as a setting like filezilla among others which I guess might deal with this better than the FW.

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FTP Brute Force attack blocked only after 13 seconds

Re: FTP Brute Force attack blocked only after 13 seconds