Lessons from the Japan Airlines Hacking Incident - Credential Stuffing and DDoS Attacks

Japan Airlines (JAL) Targeted by DDoS Attack on December 26, 2024

On December 26, 2024, Japan Airlines (JAL) faced a cyberattack that disrupted its systems, delaying over 20 domestic flights during the busy holiday travel season. The attack, a denial-of-service (DoS) incident, flooded JAL's network with excessive traffic, causing operational disruptions. In response, the airline temporarily halted ticket sales for all flights and isolated the affected router to contain the issue. JAL confirmed that flight safety was never at risk and that no customer data was compromised. By the evening, the airline had restored its systems and resumed normal operations.

If such an attack were part of a larger cyber warfare campaign, its implications could be significant. Disrupting critical infrastructure like an airline could paralyze transportation networks, undermine public confidence, and trigger economic consequences, particularly during high-demand periods. This scenario highlights the vulnerabilities in civilian infrastructure that could be exploited during geopolitical conflicts, underscoring the urgency of strengthening cybersecurity defenses. Cyber warfare tactics like this could be employed strategically to destabilize a nation without direct physical confrontation, impacting both operational and societal stability.

Further investigation into the incident uncovered an additional threat on the dark web: a malicious actor selling tools and scripts for credential stuffing attacks. These attacks use stolen credentials from past breaches to gain unauthorized access to systems. While not directly linked to the original DoS attack, credential stuffing could overwhelm authentication systems, potentially causing service outages akin to a large-scale DDoS attack.

Insights from the Credential Stuffing Tools

Tool Automation: The identified tools are highly automated, enabling attackers to target login portals at scale with minimal technical expertise. In this case, the tool was configured specifically for Japan Airlines (“jal.co.jp capture”), showing how automation simplifies the execution of large-scale attacks.

Targeted Attack: The pre-configured “jal.co.jp capture” setup demonstrates a deliberate focus on Japan Airlines or its related platforms. This suggests a calculated effort to exploit vulnerabilities specific to the organization.

Use of Proxies: The tools incorporate extensive use of proxy servers, as shown in the “Proxy” column. Proxies mask the attacker’s identity and help bypass rate-limiting or IP-based security measures, enabling persistent and distributed attack patterns.

Credential Lists: The inclusion of a “jp email password Combolist” indicates that the attack leverages a database of stolen credentials, likely sourced from prior breaches. Credential stuffing relies heavily on users’ tendency to reuse passwords across multiple accounts.

Blocked Requests: The “Processing Block” status in the screenshot suggests that the target system employs some defenses, such as rate-limiting or IP bans, to mitigate automated requests. However, these measures may not be sufficient against persistent, distributed attacks.

Hits and Bad Credentials: The metrics “Hits” and “Bad” indicate the success and failure rates of the attack. While successful logins (“Hits”) were low in this instance, the tool allows attackers to iteratively refine their credential database for future attempts.

Sale of Configurations: The marketplace offering (“jal.co.jp capture work config available stock for sell”) highlights the underground economy facilitating such attacks. Ready-made configurations lower the barrier to entry, enabling even non-technical actors to execute complex attacks.

Persistence of Attacks: The high retry count (1,946 retries) indicates the relentless nature of these attacks, emphasizing the need for resilient defense mechanisms.

Cybersecurity Implications

Credential Reuse Vulnerability

This incident highlights the risks associated with users reusing credentials across platforms. Once credentials are compromised in one breach, they can be weaponized in credential stuffing attacks against other systems.

Need for Robust Security Measures

Organizations must implement strong defenses to protect against automated attacks. Here are some recommended measures. 

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

• Why it’s important: MFA adds an additional layer of security beyond just a username and password. Attackers who successfully obtain stolen credentials cannot easily gain access without the secondary factor (e.g., a one-time password (OTP), biometric authentication, or a hardware token).
• How it helps: Credential stuffing relies solely on password reuse. By requiring a second form of verification, such as a code sent to the user's phone or generated by an authentication app, attackers would need access to this secondary device or factor, making it exponentially harder for them to succeed.
• Key benefit: Even if passwords are compromised, MFA ensures that an additional layer must be breached, significantly reducing the likelihood of unauthorized access.

CAPTCHA Enforcement

• Why it’s important: CAPTCHAs are designed to differentiate between human users and automated bots. Credential stuffing and brute-force attacks rely heavily on automated tools to test thousands of login attempts in quick succession.
• How it helps: By introducing CAPTCHA challenges during login attempts (e.g., “click on all images containing traffic lights”), these tools are disrupted since they are not equipped to solve such challenges effectively. This can prevent attackers from automating the process entirely.
• Key benefit: CAPTCHA enforcement slows down automated attacks, reduces the load on authentication systems, and prevents bots from attempting mass logins.

Rate-Limiting

• Why it’s important: Rate-limiting restricts the number of login attempts from a single IP address or account within a given time period. This measure is critical for mitigating brute-force and credential stuffing attacks, which depend on high volumes of login attempts in rapid succession.
• How it helps: For example, if an attacker is restricted to only five login attempts per minute from a single IP address, it becomes inefficient and time-consuming for them to conduct an attack. This drastically reduces their chances of success while protecting system resources.
• Key benefit: Rate-limiting minimizes the impact of automated attacks by making them slower and more detectable. It also prevents system overload, preserving the availability of online services.

Login Anomaly Detection

• Why it’s important: Login anomaly detection involves monitoring for unusual login behavior, such as repeated failed login attempts, logins from unfamiliar devices, or access from geographically distant locations in a short time frame. These behaviors are often indicators of automated or malicious activity.
• How it helps: By flagging suspicious activity, the system can prompt additional verification steps, lock the account temporarily, or alert administrators to potential threats. For instance, if a user typically logs in from Japan but suddenly a login attempt is made from Russia, this would raise a red flag.
• Key benefit: Anomaly detection enables proactive responses to potential threats, stopping attacks before they result in account compromise. It also provides valuable insights for improving security strategies over time.

Why All These Measures Together?

No single measure is foolproof. Attackers continually evolve their techniques, so using these tools in combination creates a layered security approach that makes it far more difficult and costly for attackers to succeed. While each tool addresses specific attack vectors, together they create a comprehensive defense that enhances overall resilience.

The Dark Web Ecosystem

The availability of specialized tools and configurations for sale means the sophistication of the dark web’s underground economy. Cybercriminals can collaborate, share resources, and scale their operations with relative ease.

Proactive Defense Strategies

While the blocked requests in this case suggest that some defenses are already in place, organizations need to strengthen their cybersecurity posture by adopting a layered security approach. This means implementing multiple overlapping measures to protect systems against a wide range of attacks.

Adaptive Rate-Limiting: Instead of applying a fixed limit to the number of login attempts or data requests, adaptive rate-limiting dynamically adjusts these limits based on the behavior of incoming traffic. For example, if a system detects an unusually high number of login attempts from a single source or region, it can automatically tighten the restrictions, slowing down or blocking that source. This helps organizations respond in real-time to suspicious activity while maintaining access for legitimate users.

IP Reputation Filtering: This strategy involves maintaining a list of IP addresses known to be associated with malicious activity, such as past cyberattacks or botnet operations. The system automatically blocks or flags requests from these addresses, preventing attackers from even reaching the organization's network. Think of it as a bouncer at the door who doesn’t let known troublemakers into the party.

Behavioral Analytics: By using machine learning algorithms, organizations can analyze patterns in user behavior to detect anomalies. For instance, if a user typically logs in from one country but suddenly logs in from multiple different locations within minutes, the system can flag this as suspicious and take preventive action, such as requiring additional authentication or temporarily locking the account. This method helps distinguish between legitimate users and attackers without disrupting normal operations.

Continuous Monitoring: Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, so organizations must stay vigilant. Continuous monitoring involves regularly checking systems for vulnerabilities, such as outdated software or misconfigured settings, that attackers could exploit. It also includes monitoring dark web marketplaces and breach databases to identify if any stolen credentials related to the organization have been leaked. This proactive approach ensures that vulnerabilities are addressed before they can be exploited.

Why These Measures Matter

By combining these strategies, organizations can create a robust defense system that not only stops attacks in their tracks but also prevents future ones. This layered approach reduces the chances of attackers exploiting weak points and ensures the organization is always one step ahead in the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity.