Localisation of Attacks, Combating Browser-Based Geo-Information and IP Tracking Attacks

Accessing and retrieving users’ browser and network information is a common practice used by advertisers and many online services to deliver targeted ads and explicit improved services to users belonging to a particular group. They provide a great deal of information about a user’s geographical location, ethnicity, language, culture and general interests. However, in the same way these techniques have proven effective in advertising services, they can be used by attackers to launch targeted attacks against specific user groups. Targeted attacks have been proven more effective against user groups than their blind untargeted counterparts (e.g.spam, phishing). Their detection is more challenging as the detection tools need to be located within the targeted user group. This is one of the challenges faced by security researchers and organisations involved in the detection of new malware and exploits, using client honeypots. Client honeypots are detection systems used in the identification of malicious web sites. The client honeypot needs to mimic users in a pre-defined location, system, network and personality for which the malware is intended. The case is amplified by the use of Browser Exploit Packs/kits (BEPs), supporting these features. BEPs provide simplicity in deployment of targeted malicious web sites. They allow attackers to utilise specific geographical locations, network information, visit patterns or browser header information obtained from a visiting user to determine if a user should be subjected to an attack. Malicious web sites that operate based on targeted techniques can disguise themselves as legitimate web sites and bypass detection. Benign content is delivered to attacker-specified users while avoiding delivery to suspicious systems such as well-known or possible subnets that may host client honeypots. A client honeypot deployed in a single location with a single IP address will fail to detect an attack targeted at users in different demographic and