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Patch DNS Servers Faster
51mon writes "Austrian CERT used data from one of their authoritative DNS server to measure the rate at which the latest DNS patch (source port randomization) is being rolled out to larger recursive name servers. While about half the traffic (PDF) they receive is now using source port randomization, their data suggest that this is due to ISPs who roll out such fixes immediately. The rate of patching has fallen to disappointingly low levels since. If your ISP isn't patched, perhaps it is time to switch." After details of the DNS vulnerability leaked, researchers |)ruid and HD Moore released attack code; ZDNet's security blog has an analysis.
You can change this in your DHCP or IP configuration settings on your home router or PC. On my home network, for instance, my DD-WRT router isn't running a DNS server on it, and the DHCP static DNS settings are set for my Server 2008 box and the two OpenDNS resolvers. My Server 2008 box also has its forwarders set to OpenDNS.
That's probably more complicated than it needs to be, but better safe than sorry.
On Windows XP, 2000, and I think Vista, you can tell Windows to ignore the DNS server settings provided by DHCP by going into the IP properties for the connection and hard coding in the IP addresses under Local Area Connection Properties > Internet Protocol Properties > Use the Following DNS Server Addresses.
This can also be done under linux, but I don't know the particular commands for it.
My Sysadmin Blog
Dan Kaminski's website has a DNS checker on it.
My Sysadmin Blog
It always surprises me how much love there seems to be for OpenDNS on /.
A DNS server returns you a result, or tells you that it can't resolve the domain. Instead of doing the latter, OpenDNS redirects you somewhere you didn't intend to go and attempts to hit you with some advertising. That seems more like typosquatting to me, although admittedly it's with your permission.