In the realm of cybersecurity, various attack techniques have evolved over time, each with its own unique approach and set of challenges. One such technique is the Slowloris attack, a stealthy and efficient method employed by malicious actors to cripple web servers without the need for a massive botnet or heavy network traffic. In this blog post, we will delve into the details of the Slowloris attack, exploring its mechanisms, potential impacts, and how to defend against it.
Understanding the Slowloris Attack
The Slowloris attack, named after the slow-moving nature of a certain type of lizard, is a low-and-slow Denial of Service (DoS) attack designed to exploit a web server’s capacity to handle concurrent connections. Unlike traditional DoS attacks that flood a target server with a high volume of traffic, the Slowloris attack operates differently. It capitalizes on the server’s vulnerability to handling multiple slow, incomplete HTTP requests.