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Date:      Tue, 18 May 1999 21:49:49 +1200
From:      "Dan Langille" <junkmale@xtra.co.nz>
To:        freebsd-security@freebsd.org
Subject:   http attack(?)
Message-ID:  <19990518095202.EPCY7623210.mta2-rme@wocker>

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A few days ago, I noticed my machine was running extremely slowly.  I did a top 10 at the console and 
got "too many open files".  Existing telnet sessions were non-responsive.  New telnets would not start. 

I then tried a top 5.  named and syslogd were busy.  

I looked at httpd.error and 21 of these spread over 14 seconds:
[Sat May 15 16:45:34 1999] accept: (client socket): Too many open files in system

Looking in the access logs for one of my virtual websites I found this.  Bits have been snipped to save 
repetition and conserve space.

per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:10:55:57 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:10:56:58 +1200] "-" 408 -

[etc]

per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:42:21 +1200] "-" 408 -               
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:42:49 +1200] "-" 408 -              
212.48.133.22 - - [15/May/1999:16:45:30 +1200] "-" 408 -              
212.48.133.22 - - [15/May/1999:16:46:19 +1200] "-" 408 -         

[at which point I guess httpd decided not to translate any more or named gave up]

[this is also roughly the point at which I noticed the system was slowing]

212.48.133.22 - - [15/May/1999:16:55:35 +1200] "-" 408 -
212.48.133.22 - - [15/May/1999:16:55:40 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:55:47 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:55:47 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:55:48 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:55:48 +1200] "-" 408 -
212.48.133.22 - - [15/May/1999:16:55:59 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:56:05 +1200] "-" 408 -
per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:16:56:47 +1200] "-" 408 -

[etc]

per.wave.orc.ru - - [15/May/1999:17:14:13 +1200] "-" 408 -

[ends]

I shortly thereafter started blocking this address at my firewall.  A further 200 or so packets were 
blocked.  No further activity has been seen.  Messages sent to various addresses at orc.ru have gone 
unanswered.

Is this a known attack?   A browser gone mad?

A remark on irc was that httpd was trying to consume more resources than the machine possessed.
--
Dan Langille - DVL Software Limited
The FreeBSD Diary     - http://www.FreeBSDDiary.org/freebsd/
NZ FreeBSD User Group - http://www.nzfug.nz.freebsd.org/
The Racing System     - http://www.racingsystem.com/racingsystem.htm


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