What is DNS Hijacking: Detection, Prevention, and Mitigation

DNS hijacking is one of the most deceptive cyberattacks because it works silently.

Your browser may still display the correct URL, your connection may appear normal, but behind the scenes, an attacker has already redirected your traffic to a fake website designed to steal your login credentials, financial data, or sensitive information.

In a DNS hijacking attack, hackers gain access to your DNS and switch your unique IP address to another one, rerouting your entire web traffic without your knowledge.

This guide covers what DNS hijacking is, how it works, the different types of attacks, how to detect if your DNS has been hijacked, and the steps you need to take to fix and prevent it.

What is DNS Hijacking?

To understand DNS hijacking, it helps to first understand what the domain name system does.

The DNS is essentially the phonebook of the internet. When you type a website address into your browser, the DNS lookup process translates that human-readable domain name into the legitimate IP address of the server hosting the website.

This DNS resolution process happens in milliseconds, and it’s what allows you to browse the internet without memorizing strings of numbers.

DNS hijacking is a type of attack where attackers manipulate DNS responses to redirect users to unauthorized or malicious destinations. Instead of your DNS queries reaching the correct server and returning the right IP address, the attacker intercepts or alters the process so that your traffic is sent to a server they control.

What Causes DNS Hijacking?

DNS hijacking occurs due to several underlying vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that attackers exploit to gain control over DNS resolution processes.

Common root causes:

• Weak DNS registrar account security: Default passwords, lack of two-factor authentication, and poor access controls
• Insecure DNS configurations: Misconfigured DNS servers, open resolvers, and inadequate access restrictions
• Outdated software and firmware: Unpatched vulnerabilities in routers, DNS servers, and network infrastructure
• Domain expiration and lapses: Expired domains that can be re-registered by malicious actors
• Social engineering attacks: Targeting domain administrators and registrar support staff

How DNS Hijacking Works

Every time you visit a website, your device sends DNS requests to a DNS resolver, which then queries authoritative nameservers to find the correct IP address for the domain name you entered. DNS hijacking exploits this process by compromising one or more points along the way.

The normal DNS resolution process

In a normal DNS lookup, the process follows a predictable path:

• You type a website address into your browser
• Your device sends a DNS query to a DNS resolver, typically provided by your internet service provider
• The resolver checks its DNS cache for a stored answer, and if it doesn’t have one, it queries recursive resolvers and authoritative nameservers
• The correct IP address is returned, and your browser connects to the legitimate website

How attackers hijack DNS connections

Attackers can hijack DNS at several points in this process.

Depending on the method used, they may install malware on your device, compromise your router, hack DNS connections at the server level, or intercept DNS communication between your device and the resolver.

Regardless of the method, the outcome is the same. Your DNS requests are answered with false DNS records that redirect traffic to an attacker’s DNS server or a malicious site. From there, the attacker can serve a fake website that looks identical to the legitimate one, steal data as you enter it, or deliver malware to your device.

Types of DNS Hijacking Attacks

There are multiple types of DNS hijacking attacks, each targeting different components of the DNS infrastructure. Understanding these attack vectors helps organizations implement appropriate defenses.

Local DNS hijacking

In local DNS hijacking, an attacker installs malware on a device to change its local DNS settings, redirecting all queries to the attacker’s server. This typically begins when a user unknowingly downloads trojan malware through a phishing email or compromised website.

Once the malware is installed, it takes over the device’s DNS configuration, and from that point:

• Every DNS request from the user’s computer is rerouted through a rogue DNS server controlled by the attacker
• Only the infected device is affected, not the broader network
• The attacker gains full control over where that device’s internet traffic is directed
• Detection is difficult because the change happens silently at the operating system level

Router DNS hijacking

Router DNS hijacking targets the network gateway, allowing attackers to change the router’s DNS settings and affect all devices connected to it.

Attackers typically exploit firmware vulnerabilities or take advantage of default passwords that were never changed to gain access to the router’s admin panel. Once inside, the impact spreads across the entire network:

• Every device on the network, including laptops, phones, and IoT devices, has its DNS queries silently redirected
• Users have no indication their traffic is being hijacked because the compromise is at the router level, not on their individual devices
• The attack persists until someone manually checks the router’s DNS settings and notices the unauthorized change

This makes router DNS hijacking particularly dangerous in homes, small businesses, and public Wi-Fi networks where multiple users share the same gateway.

Rogue DNS hijacking

Rogue DNS hijacking involves compromising a legitimate DNS server to alter DNS records, redirecting users to malicious sites without their knowledge. This attack goes after the DNS infrastructure itself.

And because the compromise happens upstream, the consequences are far-reaching:

• Rogue DNS servers can be created by hacking legitimate servers or through setups that trick users into using them
• Every user relying on the compromised server for DNS resolution is affected
• Attackers can change DNS records for specific domains to redirect traffic, intercept sensitive data, or distribute malware at scale

This type of DNS hijacking is harder to detect because nothing on the end user’s device or network appears to be wrong.

Man-in-the-middle DNS attacks

Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks exploit the communication path between a user’s query and the DNS server’s response, injecting forged DNS responses before the legitimate answer arrives.

The attacker positions themselves between the user and the DNS resolver, intercepting DNS traffic in real time. Here’s how the attack plays out:

• When your device sends a DNS query, the attacker intercepts it and returns a forged response pointing to a malicious IP address
• Your device accepts the forged response because it arrives before the legitimate one
• The browser connects to the attacker’s server, often displaying no visible warning to the user

DNS Hijacking vs. DNS Spoofing vs. DNS Cache Poisoning

DNS hijacking, DNS spoofing, and DNS cache poisoning are closely related but target different parts of the DNS resolution process. The table below breaks down the key differences.

The Impact of DNS Hijacking on Businesses

For businesses, a successful DNS hijacking attack can have severe and far-reaching consequences that affect revenue, reputation, and customer trust.

Financial losses

DNS hijacking can lead to significant financial losses for businesses due to the redirection of users to malicious sites.

When customers attempting to reach your website are sent to a fake version, attackers can harvest payment information, redirect transactions, or use the access to launch further attacks.

The cost of incident response, legal exposure, and regulatory fines adds to the damage.

Loss of customer trust

Businesses can lose customer trust as a result of DNS hijacking, which can redirect users to fraudulent websites.

If your customers visit what they believe is your website and have their data stolen, they will hold your organization responsible. That’s regardless of whether the breach originated from your infrastructure or a compromised DNS server. Rebuilding that trust takes far longer than fixing the technical vulnerability.

Data compromise and malware distribution

DNS hijacking can compromise sensitive customer information, including login credentials and financial data.

Beyond data theft, the impact of DNS hijacking can include the distribution of malware to users who are redirected to malicious sites. This means your domain can become an unwitting vehicle for infecting your own customers.

Operational disruption

DNS hijacking can disrupt business operations by making websites inaccessible to legitimate users.

If your DNS records are altered to point away from your real servers, your site effectively goes offline for everyone affected by the hijack. Email communications can also be intercepted, causing further disruption to daily operations.

Reputational damage

Cybercriminals often use DNS hijacking to conduct phishing attacks, which can further damage a business’s reputation.

When your brand is associated with a phishing site or a malware distribution scheme, even briefly, the reputational impact can linger long after the technical issue is resolved.

How to Detect DNS Hijacking

DNS hijacking is designed to be invisible, but it does leave traces. Knowing the warning signs and running the right checks can help you identify a compromise before it causes serious damage.

Here’s how to detect DNS hijacking on your devices, network, and domain.

Watch for common signs

Before running any tools, pay attention to the everyday indicators that something may be wrong with your DNS. Common signs of DNS hijacking include:

• Web pages that load significantly slower than usual, as your traffic passes through malicious servers
• Frequent pop-up advertisements on websites that normally don’t display them
• Pop-ups informing you that your machine is infected with malware, often leading to fake antivirus downloads
• Unexpected redirects to unfamiliar websites when you try to visit a legitimate URL
• Browser warnings or mismatched SSL certificates on sites you trust
• Email delivery issues caused by intercepted DNS communication

Check your router’s DNS settings

Router DNS hijacking is one of the most common types, so verifying your router’s DNS settings is an essential first step. Log in to your router’s admin panel and navigate to the DNS configuration section.

If the DNS servers listed are not the ones you configured, or if they point to unfamiliar IP addresses, your router may have been compromised.

Compare the listed DNS servers against known trusted providers like Google Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1). If anything looks off, change the settings back immediately and update your router’s password.

Inspect your device’s hosts file

To check for local DNS hijacking, view the contents of your hosts file on your device. The hosts file maps domain names to IP addresses and can be modified by malware to redirect specific websites to a rogue server.

• On Windows, the hosts file is located at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
• On macOS and Linux, it’s located at \etc\hosts

Open the file and look for any entries that you did not add. If you see unfamiliar domain-to-IP mappings, especially for banking sites, email providers, or social media platforms, your device may have been compromised.

Ping a network to verify DNS responses

A simple DNS hijacking test is to ping a non-existent domain and observe the response. Open your command prompt or terminal and ping a domain that should not resolve, such as “thissitedoesnotexist12345.com.”

If the ping returns an IP address instead of a failure message, your DNS queries may be getting redirected to a rogue DNS server.

You can also use the nslookup or dig commands to query specific domain names and verify that the returned IP addresses match the expected legitimate IP addresses.

Use online DNS hijack check tools

Online tools can help you quickly verify whether your DNS has been tampered with.

You can use online services like WhoIsMyDNS to see the DNS servers you are using and check if they are authorized. If the DNS servers shown don’t match your configured provider or your internet service provider’s default servers, it could indicate a compromise.

Using a router checker can also help verify if your router’s DNS settings have been altered.

PowerDMARC’s domain monitoring tools can also help you keep an eye on unauthorized changes to your DNS records, giving you real-time visibility into any modifications made to your domain’s DNS configuration.

How to Fix DNS Hijacking

If you’ve confirmed that your DNS has been compromised, acting quickly is essential to limit the damage. Let’s look at how to fix DNS hijacking, depending on where the compromise occurred.

Fix local DNS hijacking on your device

If malware has altered your local DNS settings, start by resetting your DNS configuration to a trusted provider.

Change your local DNS settings to known public DNS servers like Google’s (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare’s (1.1.1.1) to immediately stop your queries from being routed to a rogue server.

Next, run a full system scan using updated antivirus software and anti-malware tools to detect and remove the trojan malware or other malicious software responsible for the change.

After the scan, inspect your hosts file again to ensure no unauthorized entries remain.

Fix router DNS hijacking

If your router’s DNS settings have been tampered with, log in to your router’s admin panel and manually reset the DNS configuration to your preferred trusted DNS provider.

Then, take the following steps to secure the router:

• Change the router’s admin password immediately, replacing any default passwords
• Update the router firmware to the latest version to patch known firmware vulnerabilities
• Disable remote management if it is not needed
• Reboot the router after making all changes

Once the router is secured, restart all devices connected to the network to flush any cached DNS data that may still be pointing to the attacker’s DNS server.

Fix DNS hijacking at the domain or server level

If your domain’s DNS records have been altered without authorization, contact your domain registrar immediately to report the compromise and request a rollback of any unauthorized changes.

After regaining control, take these steps to prevent a recurrence:

• Enable registry lock or client lock for your domain’s account to safeguard against unauthorized changes to your DNS records
• Change all passwords associated with your registrar account and DNS management portal
• Enable two-factor authentication on your account access
• Review all DNS records thoroughly to verify that no additional unauthorized modifications were made
• Audit access logs to determine how the attacker gained entry

For organizations using PowerDMARC, the platform’s DNS record monitoring and alerting capabilities can help you detect unauthorized changes to your records quickly.

Flush your DNS cache

Regardless of where the hijacking occurred, clearing your device’s DNS cache ensures that stale or poisoned records are removed and fresh lookups are performed against your corrected DNS settings.

• On Windows, run: ipconfig /flushdns
• On macOS, run: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• On Linux, run: sudo systemd-resolve –flush-caches

After flushing the cache, restart your browser and verify that websites are loading from the correct servers.

How to Prevent DNS Hijacking Attacks

Fixing DNS hijacking after it happens is important, but preventing it in the first place is far more effective. A strong prevention strategy addresses every layer of the DNS resolution process, from the device level to the domain registrar.

Use a trusted DNS provider with DNSSEC support

Utilizing reputable DNS services, such as Google Public DNS or Cloudflare, supports security features like DNSSEC and encryption.

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) digitally signs DNS records to verify their authenticity, preventing attackers from injecting false DNS records into the resolution process.

Use a registrar that supports DNSSEC to help keep DNS lookups authentic. This ensures that the DNS responses your devices receive have not been tampered with during transit.

Secure your router

Your router is the gateway to your entire network, and a compromised router means every connected device is at risk. Follow these steps to harden your router against DNS hijacking:

• Change default router credentials immediately after setup, as default passwords are widely known and easily exploited
• Regularly update your router’s firmware to patch known security vulnerabilities
• Disable remote administration unless it is specifically required
• Regularly update your router’s password using a strong, unique combination
• Monitor your router’s DNS settings periodically to ensure they have not been changed

Implement strong password hygiene and access controls

Implement good password hygiene by creating complex passwords and updating them frequently across all accounts related to your DNS infrastructure. This includes your domain registrar, router admin panel, DNS management portal, and hosting accounts.

Additional access control measures include:

• Enabling two-factor authentication on your account access for all DNS-related accounts
• Limiting access to your DNS settings to a few trusted members of your IT team
• Using a password manager to enforce unique credentials across every system
• Revoking access immediately when team members leave or change roles

Suggested read: How To Protect Your Passwords From AI

Install antivirus and anti-malware protection

Installing antivirus software helps detect malware that may alter local DNS settings.

Use anti-malware software to protect against trojans and other malicious software that targets login information and DNS configurations.

Keep all security software updated and set to scan automatically. Early detection of malware on a user’s computer can stop a local DNS hijack before the attacker gains any meaningful access.

Limit your digital footprint and reduce exposure

The more information attackers can find about your DNS infrastructure, the easier it is for them to plan an attack. Reduce your exposure by:

• Keeping DNS software and server configurations updated
• Avoiding publicly exposing internal DNS infrastructure details
• Using a DNS firewall to filter malicious DNS queries and block access to known harmful websites
• Regularly auditing which third parties have access to your DNS data and registrar accounts

Tools like digital footprint checkers can also help identify exposed personal or organizational data that attackers could use in planning targeted attacks.

Protect Your Domain From DNS Hijacking With PowerDMARC

DNS hijacking can silently redirect your traffic, intercept your emails, and compromise your customers without a single visible warning. Detecting and preventing these attacks requires constant vigilance over your domain’s DNS configuration and email authentication setup.

PowerDMARC gives you that visibility. It delivers industry-first predictive threat intelligence for DNS anomalies, trusted by Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies worldwide. Our platform is SOC2 and ISO 27001 certified, with over 10,000 organizations relying on our real-time monitoring and enforcement to protect their domains.

Don’t wait for a DNS hijacking attack to expose a gap in your defenses. Contact us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between DNS spoofing and DNS hijacking?

DNS hijacking involves taking control of DNS records or infrastructure to redirect traffic, while DNS spoofing typically refers to providing false DNS responses to queries. Hijacking is more persistent and requires administrative access, whereas spoofing can be temporary and exploit vulnerabilities in DNS resolution processes.

2. How can I check for DNS hijacking?

You can check for DNS hijacking by using online DNS lookup tools and comparing DNS responses from multiple resolvers. You can also monitor your domain’s WHOIS records for unauthorized changes, and use PowerDMARC’s DNS monitoring tools to detect anomalies in real time.

3. What is the DNS trick?

The “DNS trick” often refers to various techniques used to manipulate DNS responses, including cache poisoning, response spoofing, or exploiting DNS resolver vulnerabilities. These tricks are commonly used in DNS hijacking attacks to redirect users to malicious websites without their knowledge.

4. How long does it take for DNS changes to propagate after a hijacking incident?

DNS propagation typically takes 24-48 hours globally, but can vary based on TTL values and resolver caching policies. During recovery from a hijacking incident, you may need to contact major DNS providers to flush their caches for faster restoration.

5. Can DNSSEC prevent all types of DNS hijacking?

DNSSEC helps prevent DNS spoofing and cache poisoning, but cannot protect against all hijacking methods, such as compromised registrar accounts or router-level attacks. It’s an important security layer, but should be combined with other protective measures like domain locks and secure registrar practices.

6. What should I do if my domain registrar account is compromised?

Immediately contact your registrar’s emergency support line, request account lockdown, change all account credentials, enable two-factor authentication, review all recent changes, and consider transferring to a more secure registrar if necessary. Document all actions for potential legal or insurance claims.

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Ahona Rudra

Domain & Email Security Expert at PowerDMARC

Ahona is the Marketing Manager at PowerDMARC, with 5+ years of experience in writing about cybersecurity topics, specializing in domain and email security. Ahona holds a post-graduation degree in Journalism and Communications, solidifying her career in the security sector since 2019.

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