What is a zero day DDoS attack?
A zero-day attack is an attack vector that targets a software vulnerability developers and security teams are not aware of and that there is no known fix for or defense against. This type of attack is rare but poses a great concern for the targeted organization: When attackers identify an unknown (zero-day) vulnerability in the target’s code or applications, and successfully exploit it, it leaves the target defenseless and with “zero days” to remediate the issue.
Over time, the vulnerability becomes well-known and a patch or fix is issued. But the unlucky first target is often left scrambling to find a solution and to minimize damages.
A zero-day DDoS attack is simply a zero-day attack that uses DDoS as its method of attack.
What is a DDoS attack?
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a type of DoS attack. It involves attacker(s) using multiple compromised sources to produce a volumetric attack. These distributed sources could include a botnet - a network of computers infected with malicious software that are controlled as a group.
A zero-day DDoS attack is when a DDoS attack is able to successfully impact a target system due to a previously undiscoveredpreviously-undiscovered vulnerability or weakness in the target’s systems.
Why you should worry about a zero-day DDoS attack
The nature of a DDoS attack (being distributed) helps a bad actor achieve their nefarious aims, making it a popular choice for effectively crippling a target system. The impact of a successful DDoS attack can wreak havoc on a target system's functionality, end-user experience, finances, and reputation.
A DDoS attack can be especially damaging because:
By its distributed nature, a DDoS attack can be difficult to pinpoint: with efforts stemming from various attacking systems, it can take time and resources for orgs to identify the source of an attack and stop it.
With more attacking systems in play, the scale and impact of an attack can be greater.
Once a source (or sources) of an attack are identified, it can take time and effort to shut down the attack source(s), meaning more time for the attack to carry on.
Hidden behind different attack sources and locations, it can be very difficult to identify the party (ies) responsible for the attack, making it easier for bad actors to hide.
Now layer in the ‘zero-day’ element to this equation, and the risk becomes even greater. Without a known patch or fix to the weakness or vulnerability targeted by a zero-day DDoS attack, the consequences can quickly multiply.
How can you protect against a zero-day attack?
Security teams and developers alike are always searching for any flaws or vulnerabilities in their code and applications, ensuring software is patched and up to date, and any known vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated in a timely manner.
The challenge with zero-day vulnerabilities is that they are ‘unknown’: meaning they have yet to be identified. This leaves a potential gap in any organization's security posture.
Though never completely avoidable, adopting a mluti-layered security approach can help defend against known attack vectors and methods. A good security program will ensure protection against: malware, viruses, botnets, API attacks, SQL injection, ransomware, DDoS attacks and more.
How can you protect against a zero-day DDoS attack?
Tools like Fastly’s DDoS protection deploy rapidly and immediately protect against application DDoS attacks. Leveraging our network’s massive bandwidth and adaptive techniques, Fastly DDoS Protection automatically keeps you performant and available without any required configuration.
Limit your organization’s exposure
A simple way to limit DDoS attacks is to shrink the available attack surface, thereby making it challenging for attackers to find an easy target. Areas of investigation should include limiting exposure to hosts, ports and protocols, and any applications you do not expect communication from. You can achieve this by placing your infrastructure resources behind a proxy Content Delivery Network (CDN): using the CDN, you can easily restrict where internet traffic can travel within your infrastructure. Use of a firewall or Access Control Lists (ACLS) can help control traffic from reaching specific applications.
How Fastly can help
Fastly’s Next-Gen WAF provides AI-driven protection against emerging threats, while its globally distributed Anycast network absorbs large-scale attacks, ensuring minimal latency and downtime. By combining real-time analytics, rapid rule deployment, and edge-based security, Fastly empowers businesses to stay resilient against even the most unpredictable zero-day DDoS threats.
Learn about Fastly's DDoS Protection
