DNS MISUSE DETECTION THROUGH ATTRIBUTE CARDINALITY TRACKING

A system and computer-implemented method to detect particular Domain Name System (DNS) misuse, wherein the method includes obtaining monitored network data. The monitored network data includes respective instances of request traffic. The request traffic is associated with DNS requests that request resolution of a name that belongs to at least one identified domain. Each DNS request is sent from a source address of one or more stub resolver; the source address of the stub resolver may be spoofed. Each instance of request traffic includes the source address, the name for which DNS resolution is requested to be resolved, and the at least one identified domain associated with a corresponding DNS request. The method further includes tracking over time, using a probabilistic algorithm, an approximation of a first cardinality of names belonging to a selected domain of the at least one identified domain included in the instances of request traffic. The method further includes tracking over time, using the probabilistic algorithm, an approximation of a second cardinality of source addresses associated with the selected domain included in the instances of request traffic. The method further includes detecting a combination of a first condition of the approximation of the first cardinality and the second condition of the approximation of the second cardinality, wherein the combination of the first and second conditions indicates the occurrence of a specific DNS misuse. The method further includes performing an action to at least one of output a notification of and correct a condition associated with the detected occurrence of the specific DNS misuse.