Internet TCP port 53 is primarily used by the Domain Name System (DNS) for serving and making requests. DNS is a protocol within the set of standards for how computers exchange data on the Internet and on many private networks, known as the TCP/IP protocol suite. Software examples that use this port include DNS servers like BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain), Microsoft DNS, and OpenDNS. DNS clients embedded in operating systems also use this port to make requests to DNS servers.
TCP port 53 is primarily used for domain name system (DNS) queries. In the past, hackers have exploited this port through DNS tunneling, where they encapsulate non-DNS traffic in DNS queries to bypass firewalls. They have also used it for DNS amplification attacks, where a small DNS query is used to generate a large response, overwhelming the target system. Additionally, hackers have exploited port 53 to redirect users to malicious websites by poisoning the DNS cache. This allows them to steal sensitive information or distribute malware.
