The term ‘zerg rush’ originates from the real-time strategy game StarCraft, developed by Blizzard Entertainment. In the game, one of the playable races, the Zerg, are known for their ability to quickly produce a large number of units. The term became popular during competitive multiplayer matches, where players would use this ability to overwhelm their opponents early in the game, before they had a chance to build up their defenses. This strategy is known as a ‘zerg rush’.
In the context of cybersecurity, a ‘zerg rush’ refers to a similar strategy: overwhelming a system with a flood of requests in a short amount of time, before the system has a chance to respond or defend itself. This is also known as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.
StarCraft and the Zerg race in the video game
StarCraft is a military science fiction media franchise created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney, and owned by Blizzard Entertainment. The game revolves around three species fighting for dominance in a distant part of the Milky Way galaxy known as the Koprulu Sector: the Terrans, human exiles from Earth; the Zerg, a race of insectoid aliens; and the Protoss, a humanoid species with advanced technology and psionic abilities.
The Zerg are known for their ability to rapidly breed and evolve, allowing them to quickly produce a large number of units. This characteristic is what gave rise to the term ‘zerg rush’. In the game, the Zerg compete against other races like the Terrans and Protoss, each with their unique strategies and strengths, to achieve dominance in the multiplayer environment.
From gaming strategy to cybersecurity threat
The concept of a zerg rush was adopted by the cybersecurity community to describe a type of DDoS attack. This battle tactic, originating from the game StarCraft, involves overwhelming an opponent with sheer numbers. Similarly, a zerg rush in cybersecurity involves overwhelming a system with a flood of requests.
This type of attack can be devastating, as it can quickly overload a system’s resources, causing it to become unresponsive or crash. This can disrupt the system’s normal operations, potentially causing significant damage or loss.
How a zerg rush works as a quick strike
A zerg rush, or DDoS attack, works by flooding a target system with more requests than it can handle. This is typically done by using a network of compromised computers, known as a botnet, to send the requests. Each computer in the botnet sends requests to the target system, overwhelming it with the sheer volume of requests. This tactic is similar to the Zerg strategy in StarCraft, where they use overwhelming numbers of units to quickly overpower their opponents.
The goal of a zerg rush is not to gain access to the target system, but rather to disrupt its normal operations. By overloading the system’s resources, the attacker can cause the system to become unresponsive or crash, disrupting its services and potentially causing significant damage or loss.
The role of botnets in a zerg rush
Botnets play a crucial role in a zerg rush. A botnet is a network of compromised computers, often referred to as ‘bots’, that are controlled by a single entity, known as the ‘botmaster’. The botmaster can command the bots to send a sheer number of requests to a target system, effectively creating a flood of requests that can overwhelm the system.
Botnets can be created in a number of ways. One common method is through the use of malware, which can infect a computer and allow the attacker to take control of it. Once a computer is part of a botnet, it can be used to carry out a variety of malicious activities, including zerg rushes.
Impact on the target system
The impact of a zerg rush on a target system can be severe. The flood of requests can quickly consume the system’s resources, causing it to become unresponsive or crash. This can disrupt the system’s normal operations, making it difficult to have a 'good game' in the context of cybersecurity, where smooth and reliable performance is crucial.
In addition to the immediate impact, a zerg rush can also have long-term effects. For example, the attack can cause a loss of trust in the system’s ability to provide reliable services, leading to a loss of customers or users. Furthermore, the recovery from a zerg rush can be costly and time-consuming, as it may require extensive efforts to restore the system to its normal operations.
Defending against a zerg rush
Defending against a zerg rush can be challenging, due to the sheer volume of requests involved in the attack. This is similar to protecting search results from being overwhelmed by a flood of requests. However, there are several strategies that can be used to mitigate the impact of a zerg rush.
One common strategy is to use rate limiting, which involves limiting the number of requests that a system will accept from a single source in a given period of time. This can help to prevent a single source from overwhelming the system with requests.
Rate limiting
Rate limiting is a technique used to control the amount of incoming traffic to a server. By limiting the number of requests that a system will accept from a single source in a given period of time, rate limiting can act as an 'easter egg' in cybersecurity, providing hidden protection against overwhelming requests.
There are several ways to implement rate limiting. One common method is to use a token bucket algorithm, which involves giving each source a certain number of tokens, or permissions to send requests. Each time a request is sent, a token is consumed. When all tokens are consumed, the source must wait for more tokens to be generated before it can send more requests.
Firewalls and intrusion prevention systems
Firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) can also be used to defend against a zerg rush. A firewall can be configured to block traffic from known malicious sources, while an IPS can detect and prevent a wide range of attacks, including DDoS attacks. Just as a Zerg player in StarCraft uses strategies to overwhelm opponents, firewalls and IPS work to defend against overwhelming attacks.
Firewalls and IPS can be effective tools for defending against a zerg rush, but they are not foolproof. For example, a sophisticated attacker may be able to bypass a firewall by disguising their traffic as legitimate. Similarly, an IPS may not be able to detect a DDoS attack if the attack uses a large number of different sources to send the requests.
The term ‘zerg rush’, while originating from a video game strategy, has taken on a significant meaning in the field of cybersecurity. As a type of DDoS attack, a zerg rush can be a serious threat to any system connected to the internet. By understanding what a zerg rush is, how it works, and how to defend against it, we can better protect our systems and data from this type of attack.
While the strategies and tools discussed in this article can help to mitigate the impact of a zerg rush, it is important to remember that no defense is foolproof. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain a proactive approach to cybersecurity, continually monitoring for potential threats and updating defenses as necessary.
This post has been updated on 19-08-2024 by Sofie Meyer.
About the author
Sofie Meyer is a copywriter and phishing aficionado here at Moxso. She has a master´s degree in Danish and a great interest in cybercrime, which resulted in a master thesis project on phishing.