Attackers Can Weaponize Firewalls and Middleboxes for Amplified DDoS Attacks

Weakness in TCP protocol implementation in middleboxes and censorship infrastructure can be exploited by attackers to amplify DDoS attacks, surpassing existing UDP-based amplification factors. The attacks take advantage of TCP-non-compliance in middleboxes such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and deep packet inspection (DPI) boxes to amplify network traffic, causing disruption or rendering the server and its surrounding infrastructure inaccessible