Weakness in Windows NT reverse-DNS lookups

["David F. Skoll" <dfs () ROARINGPENGUIN COM>]

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After seeing a lot of NetBIOS node-status probes in my firewall logs,
I discovered that many NT servers apparently do a reverse DNS lookup
by sending a NetBIOS node-status query.  This is documented at:

        http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q154/5/53.ASP

It seems to me that it's much easier to spoof an answer to a NetBIOS
node-status request than to tamper with the actual DNS system.  The Web
page says this is only used for WINS lookups, but I see a lot of these
probes coming from machines across the Internet.

Essentially, NT believes *the system it is querying* rather than a DNS
server.  It is (presumably) easier to take control of a system you own
rather than a DNS server over which you do not have administrative control.

The people who helped me discover this wish to remain anonymous, but
thanks, guys -- you know who you are.

- --
David F. Skoll
Roaring Penguin Software Inc. | http://www.roaringpenguin.com
GPG fingerprint: 50B4 FA66 CE95 E456 CD8F  96C9 E64D 185C 6646 68E0
GPG public key:  http://www.roaringpenguin.com/dskoll-key.txt
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