DNS Hijacking: The Silent Attack That Can Ruin Your Website

ARPITA (BISWAS) MAJUMDER | DATE: JULY 29, 2025

Introduction

When you type your domain into a browser and hit Enter, an unseen process called the Domain Name System (DNS) has already done the heavy lifting—translating your human‑friendly URL into a network IP address. But what if that process is silently corrupted? DNS hijacking can subvert your entire online presence, redirecting your visitors, stealing credentials, and even distributing malware—without ever hacking your servers.

What Is DNS Hijacking?

DNS hijacking (also known as DNS redirection or DNS poisoning) occurs when attackers manipulate DNS queries so that they resolve to malicious addresses. In effect, visitors believe they’re reaching your real domain—but they’re landing on a hacker‑controlled site.

1. Attackers may accomplish this via various methods:

2. Compromising DNS servers or registrars

3. Installing malware on client machines that reroute DNS requests

4. Seizing control of routers and modifying DNS settings

5. Launching man‑in‑the‑middle attacks that intercept DNS communication

Why DNS Hijacking Is Especially Dangerous

Invisible to users – The browser’s address bar may still show your legitimate domain, hiding the redirection entirely.

Bypasses server security – Attackers don’t need to compromise your infrastructure; they hijack traffic outside your control, upstream in DNS, registrar, or ISP layers.

Versatile attack goals – DNS hijacking may be leveraged for phishing, malware distribution, credential theft, espionage, ad fraud, or shutting down access to services.

How DNS Hijacking Works: The Mechanics

Local Device Hijack: Malware installed on a user’s device (e.g., DNSChanger) modifies the system's DNS settings to point to rogue servers, forcing every lookup through attacker control.

Router Hijacking: Many routers ship with default passwords or outdated firmware. An attacker who compromises these can change DNS server addresses for everyone connected to that network.

ISP or on‑Path Hijacking: Attackers performing man‑in‑the‑middle (MitM) interceptions alter DNS responses mid‑transit to route traffic maliciously.

Registrar or Authoritative Server Hijack: Probably the most powerful variant: an attacker gains access to your domain registrar or DNS hosting account and changes record data directly. This reroutes your entire website and associated services to unwanted destinations.

Real‑World Examples of DNS Hijacking in Action

State‑Backed “Sea Turtle” Campaigns: From 2017 onwards, nation‑state actors—allegedly Iran—hijacked the DNS records of telecoms, government bodies, and ISPs across multiple regions. These campaigns intercepted email traffic, credentials, and domain pointing.

Subdomain Hijacks via Dangling DNS Records: In mid‑2025, threat group Hazy Hawk exploited unmaintained CNAME records in domains of organizations like Bose, Panasonic, and the US CDC. By registering abandoned cloud endpoints, they hijacked legitimate subdomains to distribute malware and run scams.

DNS‑embedded Malware via TXT Records: Security researchers recently discovered a cause for concern: splitting malware payloads over DNS TXT records (e.g. Jokescreenmate), which can evade standard defenses since DNS traffic is typically trusted.

Crypto Platforms Hit via Registrar Hijacks: In late 2024, crypto platforms hosted on Squarespace—including Celer, Compound Finance, Unstoppable Domains—lost control over their domains, which were pointed at phishing kits used to drain wallets.

Global Scale: 2024 Detection Pipeline: Between March and September 2024, Palo Alto’s Unit 42 systems processed 29 billion DNS records; 6,729 records were confirmed as hijacking cases—an average of 38 daily.

The Risks: Why DNS Hijacking Matters

Reputation & Trust Collapse: Users arriving at a phishing clone of your site are likely to lose all trust forever.

Credential Theft & Identity Fraud: Fake login pages capture usernames, passwords, financial data—sometimes even personal identity details.

Malware & Crypto‑Scams: Hijacked traffic may trigger downloads of malware or trick users into entering wallet credentials—as seen in crypto platform hijacks.

Email Hijacking: If MX records are hijacked or the domain expires, attackers can intercept organizational emails and communications.

API / Dependency Hijacking: Expired or misconfigured DNS entries for APIs or cloud services can enable attackers to hijack services or inject malicious payloads.

Types of DNS Hijacking Attacks (Summary Table)

Attack Type	Method	Consequence
Local DNS Hijack	Malware modifies DNS on device	Redirects traffic to malicious servers
Router Hijack	Compromised router changes DNS configuration	Affects entire local network
MitM / ISP Hijack	Intercept & alter DNS queries/responses	Redirects infected traffic
Registrar/Authoritative Hijack	Access to domain/DNS hosting accounts	Full control over where domain resolves

Consequences of DNS Hijacking

Traffic diversion to phishing or malicious IPs.

Credential theft—attackers mirror login flows to harvest data.

Malware propagation—via phishing pages or drive‑by downloads.

Brand and reputation damage—even if quickly restored, trust erodes.

Email intercepts—incoming corporate mail redirected to attacker‑controlled servers.

Downtime—loss of business revenue if legitimate traffic is blocked or misrouted.

Detection: Signs You’re Being Hijacked

1. Website loads slowly or differently, even though DNS appears unchanged

2. Suspicious or unfamiliar DNS settings in your domain registrar

3. Unexpected changes in traffic patterns from known geo‑regions or DNS providers

4. Email delivery issues or failure to receive emails

5. Online DNS lookup tools showing your domain resolving to unauthorized IPs

   
   

Prevention and Mitigation Strategies

For Organizations and Site Owners:

Enable DNSSEC to enforce cryptographic authentication of DNS responses, preventing spoofing.

Use secure registrars with mandatory multi‑factor authentication and registrar lock features.

Restrict DNS changes via IP whitelisting and change control procedures.

Audit DNS configurations regularly—remove abandoned CNAMEs and unused subdomains to prevent subdomain takeovers.

Separate authoritative and recursive servers for resilience against combined attacks.

Apply firewalls and hardened resolver access, along with randomized query IDs and source ports to fight cache poisoning.

For Individual Users:

Use trusted DNS resolvers such as Google Public DNS or Cisco OpenDNS that respect NXDOMAIN responses.

Install antivirus software and keep devices free of malware that may corrupt local DNS settings.

Secure your router with strong admin credentials and firmware updates.

Avoid suspicious push‑notifications and pop‑ups, especially from hijacked subdomains.

Response: What to Do if You’re Hijacked

1. Immediately correct DNS records at your registrar or DNS host

2. Flush caches—advise major DNS providers and ISPs to clear cached NS/A records

3. Notify your users and stakeholders transparently

4. Revoke or re-establish TLS certificates if compromised

5. Conduct a full forensic audit of credentials, logs, and potential persistence

Why It’s Silent—but Critical

DNS operates largely in the background—an invisible backbone. Hijackers exploit that obscurity: users don’t typically spot a subtle DNS redirect. For website owners, the danger is everything: traffic can be wholly redirected; brands and emails disrupted; and worse—visitors could be exposed to phishing or malware without warning.

Final Thoughts: Stay Vigilant

DNS hijacking is no longer a theoretical concern—it’s happening globally, impacting businesses, governments, and users every day. Whether via state‑backed espionage campaigns or opportunistic subdomain takeovers, the attack surface is vast.

The only effective defense is vigilance: secure registrars, deploy DNSSEC, implement strict change control, monitor DNS activity, and clean up unused DNS entries. After all, the first line of defense in safeguarding your website might lie in the unseen phonebook of the internet.

Citations/References

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Image Citations

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About the Author

Arpita (Biswas) Majumder is a key member of the CEO's Office at QBA USA, the parent company of AmeriSOURCE, where she also contributes to the digital marketing team. With a master’s degree in environmental science, she brings valuable insights into a wide range of cutting-edge technological areas and enjoys writing blog posts and whitepapers. Recognized for her tireless commitment, Arpita consistently delivers exceptional support to the CEO and to team members.