TCP Vulnerable To Low-bandwidth DoS Attack

There’s already a frenzy of speculation, analysis and, probably, development of malware surrounding the announcement of SockStress–the proof-of-concept program developed by two Dutch researchers to exploit an apparently heretofore unknown vulnerability in the TCP/IP stack. It started when they let the cat out of the bag in an interview that got the attention of Slashdot. I’m not going to dive in and add my opinion to the frenzy; however, this incident reinforces the idea that data and network security require constant vigilance and attention to protecting the data first (See The #1 Security Priority: Protect The Information).

Steve Gibson of Gibson Research Corporation presents a good sampling of the news surrounding this issue. There’s a lot that is (and isn’t) being said. The bottom line is that it’s a nasty vulnerability. It’ll be interesting to see how this develops.