Websites usually face threats to security, including subdomain takeovers, which are often neglected. Today, every company uses a website that serves as a channel for customers to get information about them, order products, and access other resources. Using many subdomains leaves websites vulnerable to hackers.

Reputational harm and data breaches are possible outcomes of subdomain takeovers.

The good news is that with the correct plans, you can keep your business safe from these dangers. This blog post will give you all the information you need about American Airlines’ rovrplus aa subdomain takeovers, how they affect companies, and how to protect your website against them.

Subdomain Takeover: What Is It?

It’s vital to understand a domain in the context of the domain name system (DNS) to grasp subdomain takeovers and how hackers can abuse them. Some examples of domain names are “rovrplus@aa.com.” Subdomains inside this domain, like “rovrplus.aa.com” or “rovrplus.aa,” can perform various functions or include distinct content.

When an intruder gains control of a subdomain by exploiting a security hole, this is called a subdomain takeover. The most common cause is a misconfiguration or retirement of the external service that a subdomain in the DNS configurations refers to, such as a cloud provider (e.g., Amazon, Azure, or Microsoft).

What is the Process of a Subdomain Takeover?

Cloud providers frequently host inactive or improperly designed external services that might lead to vulnerabilities. Organizations risk subdomain takeover if the DNS record pointing to this service is still in the nameservers.

Subdomain takeover attacks often manifest in the following ways:

Orphaned Services

A business may build a website app with the subdomain “rovrplus.aa.com” for a promotional campaign, but the service becomes orphaned afterward. If the DNS settings remain unchanged after the campaign finishes, attackers can take over the subdomain by exploiting this carelessness.

Accounts with Third Parties That Have Expired

Some businesses depend on external platforms, such as Amazon Online Services (AWS) or GitHub, to host online applications. If the account’s DNS point to it even after it expires, it becomes a potential entry point for evil entities.

Migration Overviewed

Old subdomains could be forgotten about during website migrations. It is possible for subdomains to still point to the old, possibly unclaimed, hosting service if a corporation changes hosting providers without first auditing all subdomain setups.

Do Subdomain Takeovers Have Any Effect?

The repercussions for organizations of subdomain takeovers might be severe. Here are several examples:

Reputational Harm

A marred reputation is one of the first things that happens after a subdomain takeover. Even if a customer tries to access a promotional subdomain of a well-known business, they could end up seeing inappropriate or even harmful content. Such occurrences can harm a company’s image and undermine consumer confidence, even if resolved promptly.

Data Stealing and Phishing

Cybercriminals can use a compromised subdomain to create convincing phishing campaigns and steal sensitive information. Users may enter critical information without realizing it, believing they are on an official site. Some examples of this data are session cookies, personally identifiable information, and financial records.

Chain Attacks

In a chain assault, an infected subdomain might lead to further intrusions into the rest of the company’s network. To compromise user data or deliver malware, an attacker could utilize cross-site scripting with JavaScript, for example.