A Layer 7 Application HTTP Flood is a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that specifically targets the application layer of the OSI model, focusing on the HTTP protocol.
In a Layer 7 HTTP Flood attack, the goal is to overwhelm a web server or application by flooding it with a massive volume of seemingly legitimate HTTP requests. Unlike traditional DDoS attacks that aim to saturate network bandwidth (Layer 3/4 attacks), a Layer 7 HTTP Flood targets the web application itself, aiming to exhaust its resources and disrupt its normal functioning.
How Layer 7 HTTP Flood Attacks Work
| Volume of Requests | Attackers use botnets or networks of compromised computers to generate a large volume of HTTP requests. These requests may target specific URLs, endpoints, or functionalities within a web application. |
| HTTP GET or POST Requests | The flood can consist of either HTTP GET or POST requests, depending on the nature of the targeted application. GET requests retrieve information from the server, while POST requests submit data to the server. |
| Randomization | Attackers may randomize certain parameters in the HTTP requests, such as user agents, referrer headers, or other fields, to make the traffic appear more varied and mimic legitimate user behavior. |
| Continuous Nature | HTTP Flood attacks are often sustained and continuous, with a high request rate that can overwhelm the target server’s resources. |
| Resource Exhaustion | The goal of the attack is to exhaust the target’s web server resources, such as CPU, memory, and network bandwidth, by forcing it to process and respond to a large number of requests. |
The objective of a Layer 7 HTTP flood attack is to inundate the target’s web server with requests that exhaust it’s available resources (i.e., CPU, Memory) causing it to slow and become unusable, resulting in a denial of service.
When using NOC’s platform an organization can mitigate Layer 7 attacks, including HTTP flood attacks, via its CDN and WAF technologies. We employ behavioral analysis tools that identify unusual patterns in HTTP traffic, allowing for the detection of malicious behavior associated with an HTTP Flood attack. Additionally, we leverage rate limiting, throttling, and bot mitigation technologies to help mitigate these types of attacks as well.