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There are about 60 or 70 different uses that people have come up with. That many? I'm aware of a few 'alternative uses' for DNS but wasn't aware that there wer

by Pick-A-Hill2019 6y ago

There are about 60 or 70 different uses that people have come up with. That many? I'm aware of a few 'alternative uses' for DNS but wasn't aware that there were so many. Anyone here know of some?

JdeBP 6y ago
Let's start with: * name-to-address, times 2 because IPv4 and IPv6 are separated ("Many people think that the sole objective of the DNS was to go from names to addresses, but …") * address-to-name, again times 2 * name-to-SMTP-Relay-server(s) * name-to-content-DNS-server(s) * name-and-service-and-transport-to-address (http://jdebp.uk./FGA/dns-srv-record-use-by-clients.html http://jdebp.uk./FGA/dns-srv-record-use-by-clients.html) * name-to-SPF-information * name-to-DMARC-information * name-to-verification-token for Google/Bing webmaster tools et al. * address-to-SMTP-Relay-client-allow/deny (http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/rbldns.xml http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/rbldns.xm...) * DNS-client's-address (e.g. o-o.myaddr.l.google.com.) * address-to-opaque-name-to-same-address (http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/walldns.xml http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/walldns.x...) Then we get into the more obscure uses such as AFS cell lookup, DHCP IDs, various kinds of keys including SSH public key fingerprints and OpenPGP keys, MAC address lookup, and "responsible person" mailbox names. Be amused by https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24681726 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24681726 .
- canadian_tired 6y ago
  I agree with your list, but maybe he meant more high-level use cases. For example, "DNS-as-load-balancer". I've seen people mess with DNS entries to produce the behaviour they want, versus doing it the "right way". Sometimes it was done because of ignorance of the "right way", other times it is because the responsible party does not want to deal with the change management processes of the "right way".
  - Pick-A-Hill2019 6y ago
    Thanks, yes that is what I meant but to clarify. When the figure of 60-70 uses for DNS was mentioned, thoughts of data exfiltration over DNS and DDoS amplification attacks were two things that sort of sprang to mind as alternate uses of it. So I was wondering what other less Nefarious purposes DNS has been (ab)used to do?

There are about 60 or 70 different uses that people have come up with. That many? I'm aware of a few 'alternative uses' for DNS but wasn't aware that there were so many. Anyone here know of some?

JdeBP 6y ago

Let's start with: * name-to-address, times 2 because IPv4 and IPv6 are separated ("Many people think that the sole objective of the DNS was to go from names to addresses, but …") * address-to-name, again times 2 * name-to-SMTP-Relay-server(s) * name-to-content-DNS-server(s) * name-and-service-and-transport-to-address (http://jdebp.uk./FGA/dns-srv-record-use-by-clients.html http://jdebp.uk./FGA/dns-srv-record-use-by-clients.html) * name-to-SPF-information * name-to-DMARC-information * name-to-verification-token for Google/Bing webmaster tools et al. * address-to-SMTP-Relay-client-allow/deny (http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/rbldns.xml http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/rbldns.xm...) * DNS-client's-address (e.g. o-o.myaddr.l.google.com.) * address-to-opaque-name-to-same-address (http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/walldns.xml http://jdebp.uk./Softwares/djbwares/guide/commands/walldns.x...) Then we get into the more obscure uses such as AFS cell lookup, DHCP IDs, various kinds of keys including SSH public key fingerprints and OpenPGP keys, MAC address lookup, and "responsible person" mailbox names. Be amused by https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24681726 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24681726 .

canadian_tired 6y ago
I agree with your list, but maybe he meant more high-level use cases. For example, "DNS-as-load-balancer". I've seen people mess with DNS entries to produce the behaviour they want, versus doing it the "right way". Sometimes it was done because of ignorance of the "right way", other times it is because the responsible party does not want to deal with the change management processes of the "right way".
- Pick-A-Hill2019 6y ago
  Thanks, yes that is what I meant but to clarify. When the figure of 60-70 uses for DNS was mentioned, thoughts of data exfiltration over DNS and DDoS amplification attacks were two things that sort of sprang to mind as alternate uses of it. So I was wondering what other less Nefarious purposes DNS has been (ab)used to do?