UDPFlooding

UDPFlooding is a type of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack that exploits the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). In a UDP flooding attack, the attacker sends a massive volume of UDP packets to a target server or network. UDP is a connectionless protocol, meaning it does not require a handshake or establishment of a connection before sending data. This characteristic makes it easier for attackers to flood a target with a large number of unsolicited packets without expending significant resources.

The primary goal of a UDP flood is to overwhelm the target's network bandwidth or processing capacity. When the target server receives a flood of UDP packets, it attempts to process each one, leading to a depletion of resources. This can manifest as slow network performance, inability to respond to legitimate user requests, or a complete system crash. Attackers may spoof the source IP address of the UDP packets, making it difficult to trace the origin of the attack. Common UDP ports targeted include those used by DNS, NTP, or game servers, as these services are often publicly accessible and can be critical for operations. Mitigation strategies often involve traffic filtering, rate limiting, and the use of specialized DDoS protection services.