CAPEC-290 Metadata
Likelihood of Attack
High
Typical Severity
Low
Overview
Summary
An adversary enumerates the MX records for a given via a DNS query. This type of information gathering returns the names of mail servers on the network. Mail servers are often not exposed to the Internet but are located within the DMZ of a network protected by a firewall. A side effect of this configuration is that enumerating the MX records for an organization my reveal the IP address of the firewall or possibly other internal systems. Attackers often resort to MX record enumeration when a DNS Zone Transfer is not possible.
Prerequisites
The adversary requires access to a DNS server that will return the MX records for a network.
Potential Solutions / Mitigations
No specific solutions listed.
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-200 | Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor |
Related CAPECs
| CAPEC ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CAPEC-309 | An adversary engages in scanning activities to map network nodes, hosts, devices, and routes. Adversaries usually perform this type of network reconnaissance during the early stages of attack against an external network. Many types of scanning utilities are typically employed, including ICMP tools, network mappers, port scanners, and route testing utilities such as traceroute. |
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