A new tool for manipulating packets of data that travel over the Internet could allow attackers to camouflage malicious programs just enough to bypass many intrusion-detection systems and firewalls. The tool, called Fragroute, performs several techniques to fool the signature-based recognition systems used by many intrusion-detection systems and firewalls. Many of these duping techniques were outlined in a research paper published four years ago. . . .

A new tool for manipulating packets of data that travel over the Internet could allow attackers to camouflage malicious programs just enough to bypass many intrusion-detection systems and firewalls. The tool, called Fragroute, performs several techniques to fool the signature-based recognition systems used by many intrusion-detection systems and firewalls. Many of these duping techniques were outlined in a research paper published four years ago.

Arbor Networks security researcher Dug Song posted the tool to his Web site this week. Arbor is a network protection company.

"(Some) firewalls and intrusion prevention or other application-layer content-filtering devices have similar vulnerabilities that may be tested with Fragroute," Song wrote in a posting to security mailing list Bugtraq on Thursday.

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