Bitsquatting

Bitsquatting is a form of typosquatting that specifically targets domain names. It involves registering domain names that are very similar to popular or legitimate domains by making a single bit flip in the corresponding IP address. For example, if a legitimate domain resolves to the IP address 192.168.1.1, a bitsquatted domain might be registered for an IP address that differs by just one bit, such as 192.168.1.2. This subtle difference can be enough to trick users into visiting a malicious website, especially if they are typing a domain name or IP address manually or have a typo in their input.

The intent behind bitsquatting is usually malicious. Attackers use these domain names to host phishing websites, distribute malware, or conduct other forms of cybercrime. They rely on the assumption that users may mistype an IP address or that network configurations might inadvertently redirect traffic to these malicious sites. While less common than traditional domain typosquatting (which involves misspelling the domain name itself), bitsquatting presents a more technical and potentially insidious threat. It exploits the underlying numerical representation of network addresses rather than just the human-readable domain names, making it harder for average users to detect. Organizations are increasingly aware of this threat and may implement measures to detect and block bitsquatted domains.