A Distributed Denial-of-Service(DDoS) Attack using BitTorrent Peer-to-Peer(P2P) Network

Recently, many hackers attacks are done with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) strategy. Most famous centralized peer to peer (P2P) networks can be easily used for realize these attacks. File-sharing protocols such BitTorrent or an extension of Gnutella use centralized server for orchestrate 7-level connections between peers. This procedure create a point-of-failure because malicious centralized-server modifies can redirect peer connections toward a target machine on a specific port. Main attack’s aim is exhausting machine resources, causing denial-of-service. However, are not generated big traffic peaks: are only setted big number of connections which are maintained alive until timeout. In this paper are analysed distributed denial-of-service attacks realized with a p2p file-sharing network by unconscious peers and possible methods of defence with their advantages and disadvantages. Popularity and constant growth of p2p networks mixed with serious difficulties to detect malevolent connections make these attacks very attackers attractive and so very worrying.