Attivo Networks Inc.

Muthukumar Lakshmanan

Venu Vissamsetty

Harinath Vishwanath Ramchetty

Vinod Kumar A Porwal

Srikant Vissamsetti

Venu Vissametty

Sreenivasa Sudheendra Penupolu

Ankur Rungta

An endpoint executes a deflection service that detects failed connection attempts (TCP RST packets) and evaluates whether they are likely the result of a reconnaissance attack. If an inbound connection fails, a connection request packet (TCP SYN) is sent to a decoy server that includes data from the TCP RST packet. The decoy server then completes a connection handshake with a destination of the TCP RST packet and engages a process at the destination. If an outbound connection fails, the deflection service facilitates a connection between a process executing on the endpoint and the decoy server and associated with a destination port referenced by the TCP RST packet.

Deceiving attackers in endpoint systems

Endpoints of various domains implement forwarding modules as well as perform various production tasks. The endpoints of a domain participate in an election process by which one or more endpoints are selected to operate as honeypots. The forwarding modules of non-selected endpoints become inactive, but wake up periodically to determine whether an election process is occurring. Selected endpoints obtain configuration data from a management server. The endpoints then acquire IP addresses and implement one or more services according to the configuration data. The management server may configure the services based on a location of the selected endpoint. Traffic received by the selected endpoints is forwarded to the management server, which engages an attacker system using one or more VMs. When an endpoint moves to a different domain, it releases acquired IP addresses and attempts to participate in the election process in the different domain.

Implementing decoys in network endpoints

Endpoints in a network execute a sensor module that intercepts commands. The sensor module compares a source of commands to a sanctioned list of applications received from a management server. If the source does not match a sanctioned application and the command is a write or delete command, the command is ignored and a simulated acknowledgment is sent. If the command is a read command, deception data is returned instead. In some embodiments, certain data is protected such that commands will be ignored or modified to refer to deception data where the source is not a sanctioned application. The source may be verified to be a sanctioned application by evaluating a certificate, hash, or path of the source.

Endpoints in a computer network create connections to a deception server without sending any payload data. The connections create records of the connection on the endpoints, by which an attacker accesses the deception server. Received packets that include payload data are determined to be unauthorized. The deception server acquires IP addresses in various VLANS and provides these IP addresses to the endpoints over a secure channel. The connections from the endpoints to the deception server are not performed on the secure channel. IP addresses acquired by the deception server are not assigned to an interface. Instead, NAT is used to route packets including the IP addresses to various engagement servers. Each IP address is assigned a unique hostname in order to appear as multiple distinct servers. The deception server further generates broadcast traffic to generate other records that may be used to lure an attacker to the deception server.

Luring attackers towards deception servers

MITM attacks are detected by intercepting network configuration traffic (name resolution, DHCP, ARP, ICMP, etc.) in order to obtain a description of network components. A computer system generates artificial requests for network configuration information and monitors responses. Multiple responses indicate a MITM attack. Responses that are different from previously-recorded responses also indicate a MITM attack. MITM attacks may be confirmed by transmitting fake credentials to a source of a response to a request for network configuration information. If the fake credentials are accepted or are subsequently used in an access attempt, then a MITM attack may be confirmed.

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Bengaluru, India

Muthukumar Lakshmanan