Improved Network Security and Disguising TCP/IP Fingerprint through Dynamic Stack Modification

Abstract

Each computer on a network has an Operating System (OS) Fingerprint that can be collected through various applications. Because of the complexity of network systems, vulnerabilities and exploitations of the same to gain access to systems will always be a problem. Those wishing to attack a system can use the OS Fingerprint to identify the types of vulnerabilities and software exploits that will be effective against the system. This paper discusses how system vulnerabilities become exploited and used by network attackers. Because OS Fingerprints are one of many tools network attackers will use to identify and attack a system, concealing a system's OS Fingerprint becomes an important part of securing the system. To demonstrate the capability of concealing the OS Fingerprint of a system, a prototype system was developed. This prototype changed the OS Fingerprint of a Linux system so that it matched a Windows NT system.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2005
Accession Number
ADA439228

Entities

People

  • Aaron C. Judd

Organizations

  • Naval Postgraduate School

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Application Protocols
  • Application Software
  • Computer Network Security
  • Computer Networks
  • Computer Program Documentation
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computer Science
  • Computers
  • Cybersecurity
  • Fingerprints
  • Kernels (Operating System)
  • Network Protocols
  • Operating Systems
  • Port Scanners
  • Prototypes
  • Websites

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Database Systems and Applications

Technology Areas

  • Cyber