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# Cortex Xpanse Protects Against Malicious Domain Takeover Techniques

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By [Yvonne Le](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/yvonne-le/?ts=markdown "Posts by Yvonne Le")  
Feb 26, 2025  
3 minutes  
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Malicious domain takeovers have become an increasing concern for businesses as more attackers are exploiting vulnerabilities in domain registrars or DNS providers within an organization. They can redirect traffic to malicious sites, use unauthorized access to a domain for spam or phishing, or deface the website. Attackers exploit insecure website themes and plugins to gain access and control. Neglecting to update these components makes websites vulnerable to attacks that can lead to domain takeovers.

A recent study conducted by the Cortex Xpanse Research Engineering (XRE) team at Palo Alto Networks identified over 700,000 hijacked and defaced websites. The XRE team investigated websites turned into gambling sites and defaced by hacktivists or extortion groups and identified patterns like specific keywords and XML namespaces indicating compromise. They also found websites defaced with hacktivist messages or locked for ransom/extortion with notably significant activity from Turkey and Indonesia.

[Cortex Xpanse](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xpanse) plays a crucial role in preventing and protecting against domain takeover attacks. Here are some key ways Xpanse assists in defending against domain takeovers:

* **Continuous monitoring** of an organization's digital footprint, including all domains and subdomains associated with the business.
* **Comprehensive visibility** into an organization's entire attack surface, enabling security teams to identify and assess potential risks related to domain vulnerabilities.
* **Threat intelligence integration** to help identify known malicious actors, tactics, and patterns associated with domain takeovers, enabling organizations to respond swiftly and effectively to potential threats.
* **Automated alerts and notifications** promptly notify organizations of any suspicious activities or anomalies detected within their digital footprint.
* **Collaboration and remediation** facilitated through a centralized platform for monitoring and managing domain security.

## **Attack Surface Rules (ASRs) for Malicious Domain Takeover**

In addition to the advanced core capabilities Xpanse delivers, there are also Attack Surface Rules (ASRs) specifically developed to protect organizations against malicious domain takeovers. These ASRs are high-confidence selectors that indicate when a domain takeover has occurred, including:

* **Detecting DNS vulnerabilities** that could be exploited by attackers to hijack domains or subdomains.
* **Targeting domain and subdomain hijacking attempts** by analyzing domain registration data, WHOIS information, and DNS records to detect any unauthorized changes or transfers of ownership.
* **Monitoring certificate and domain expiration trends** to identify domains that may be at risk of takeover due to expired or soon-to-expire certificates or registrations.
* **Detecting embedded advertisements** on websites, which could be a sign of a domain takeover or unauthorized modifications to website content.
* **Tracking content hosting provider reputation** to identify potential risks related to malicious hosting services that could facilitate domain takeovers.

By leveraging both the advanced capabilities and specific ASRs related to malicious domain takeovers, organizations can proactively identify and mitigate the risks associated with these cyberattack techniques. The combination of high-confidence selectors and advanced detection capabilities enables Xpanse to provide effective proactive protection against domain hijacking attempts through thorough monitoring, threat detection, and remediation. This empowers organizations to stay ahead of cyberthreats and safeguard their digital assets effectively.

**Learn more today about [Cortex Xpanse](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex/cortex-xpanse.)!**

*** ** * ** ***

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