Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 Inside Out

DHCP Security Considerations

DHCP is inherently insecure. Anyone with access to the network can perform malicious actions that could cause problems for other clients trying to obtain IP addresses. A user could take the following actions:

• Initiate a denial of service (DoS) attack by requesting all available IP addresses or by using large numbers of IP addresses, either of which could make it impossible for other users to obtain IP addresses.

• Initiate an attack on DNS by performing a large number of dynamic updates through DHCP.

• Use the information provided by DHCP to set up rogue services on the network, such as using a non-Microsoft DHCP server to provide incorrect IP address information.

To reduce the risk of attacks, you should limit physical access ...