BGP's Security Problems Are Notorious. Attempts to Fix That Are a Work in Progress
Summary:
The extent of the BGP vulnerability lies in the potential impact on organizations and users across the globe. BGP attacks can divert traffic via malicious networks unwittingly to the users, allowing for information eavesdropping or service disruption.
In spite of some mitigation measures, the fact that the protocol is based on trust among networks renders it a chronic problem. This occurrence emphasizes monitoring of network routing, liaison with the upstream providers, and knowledge about developments of internet infrastructure security.
Security Officer Comments:
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the internet routing protocol, has long been recognized as insecure. The vulnerabilities in it can allow attackers to hijack traffic, intercept data, or facilitate denial-of-service attacks. It is years since efforts have been made to make BGP secure, but adoption of security protocols is low because the world-wide internet infrastructure is complicated. Researchers are still exploring methods like RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) and BGP monitoring tools that can be used to detect and prevent the attacks, but they are not yet in broad deployment.
Suggested Corrections:
- Implement BGP monitoring and alerting to detect abnormal routing changes.
- Use RPKI and BGP Origin Validation to verify that route announcements are legitimate.
- Collaborate with upstream providers and peers to enforce route filtering and reduce exposure to hijacks.
- Regularly review and update network configurations to minimize vulnerabilities related to routing.
Link(s):
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/27/systems_approach_securing_internet_infrastructure/