On Monday, social media platform X experienced significant intermittent outages, which owner Elon Musk attributed to a "massive cyberattack." Musk suggested in an initial post that the attack might have been orchestrated by a "large, coordinated group and/or a country." A few hours later, the pro-Palestinian group Dark Storm Team claimed responsibility for the attack. Musk later indicated that the attacks originated from IP addresses associated with Ukraine.
However, cybersecurity experts asserted that attributing attacks based solely on IP addresses is not straightforward. DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks generally involve a distributed network of compromised computers, known as a botnet, flooding a target with excessive traffic to disrupt its systems. These botnets often consist of computers dispersed globally, making it challenging to trace their actual controlling location.
Shawn Edwards, Zayo’s chief security officer, emphasized that attackers typically employ methods such as compromised devices or VPNs to mask their origins. Last Monday, researchers identified five distinct attacks against X’s infrastructure, with the initial assault commencing early in the morning and concluding by the afternoon. Cisco’s ThousandEyes observed network conditions consistent with a DDoS attack, including substantial traffic loss, which hampered users’ access to the platform.
DDoS attacks have become commonplace, with most internet services regularly facing such threats. Musk has previously indicated that X experiences daily attacks, yet these particular incidents were severe enough to disrupt service. Analysts, including independent researcher Kevin Beaumont, have suggested that some of X’s servers may have been inadequately secured, allowing attackers to target them effectively. Beaumont noted that X’s servers were directly attacked, revealing vulnerabilities in their protections.
After the attacks, Musk reiterated in an interview that the assault was extensive, citing its origin in Ukraine. His past comments about Ukraine and its president have raised eyebrows, given his significant political donations to former President Donald Trump and comments regarding his views on the Ukraine conflict. While some researchers noted Ukrainian IPs might have been involved in the attacks, this observation alone does not conclusively identify the attackers. Edwards remarked that identifying the true perpetrator based solely on IP data is complicated, with each attack’s geographic distribution providing only limited insights into the actual parties responsible.
For further context on cybersecurity and DDoS prevention, resources can be found on Cloudflare’s proactive defense strategies.
