IP Threat Report
104.28.249.140
ABUSE.MOM — BEHAVE OR GET EXPOSED
Geolocation & Classification
Detection Signatures
| Signature | Description | Points | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 404 ratio 40-60% | Majority of requests returned 404 — enumeration | +15 | |
| Burst 10/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 11/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 13/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 15/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 23/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 24/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 24/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 26/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 28/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 29/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 35/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 37/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 39/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 43/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 48/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 66/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 74/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 82/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 84/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 90/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 1 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +10 | |
| Danger strong hits: 16 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 22 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 27 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 29 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 5 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 6 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 9 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Foreign referer | Referer from unrelated external domain | +10 | |
| POST seen | Behavioral anomaly detected by automated analysis | +8 | |
| UA changed | Multiple User-Agents — bot rotation technique | +25 |
Observed Activity
Reconstructed HTTP requests from server access logs. Target domains redacted for security.
* Typical request patterns for detected signatures. Actual target domains are redacted.
Timeline
Network Provider
Recommendations
Actions taken & recommended
- IP 104.28.249.140 is blocked at application level (HTTP 403)
- Consider blocking at firewall level (iptables/CSF) to reduce server load
- Other malicious IPs detected in the same /24 subnet — consider blocking 104.28.249.0/24
- Report abuse to the network provider via their abuse contact
- Ensure sensitive files (.env, .git, backups) are not accessible from the web
🔎 Directory Scan Defense
IP 104.28.249.140 is enumerating directories. Configure fail2ban apache-404 jail after 10+ 404 errors. Disable directory listings. Normalize all 404 responses.
🌊 Flood / DDoS Mitigation
Implement limit_req_zone in nginx. Deploy CDN with DDoS protection. Configure SYN cookies and connection tracking to throttle 104.28.249.140.
🤖 User-Agent Anomaly Defense
IP 104.28.249.140 shows suspicious UA behavior. Block empty User-Agent requests. Implement JavaScript-based bot detection for sensitive endpoints.
Neighbors in 104.28.249.0/24
Other blocked IPs from the same /24 subnet — indicates systematic abuse from this network range.
Blacklist Status (DNSBL)
This IP was checked against major DNS-based blacklists used by mail servers and firewalls worldwide.
Checked: Spamhaus, SpamCop, Barracuda, SORBS, CBL, UCEProtect. Results may change over time.
Threat Analysis
104.28.249.140 has been assigned a threat score of 228/100 (Critical). A score this high marks a critical threat actor. This address has demonstrated persistent, aggressive malicious behavior across multiple detection vectors.
The following attack categories were identified:
📊 Threat Analysis
Network traffic from 104.28.249.140, located in Utrecht, Netherlands, operating on the network of Cloudflare, Inc., has been classified as malicious by our automated threat scoring engine. Over a period of 33 days, this IP generated 676 malicious requests, averaging approximately 20.5 requests per day. This IP is identified as a VPN or proxy endpoint, commonly used to mask the true origin of attack traffic and bypass geographic or reputation-based blocking. The combination of 3 distinct attack vectors indicates a sophisticated, multi-pronged threat actor deploying automated tools that probe multiple attack surfaces simultaneously. With 13 flagged addresses, Netherlands represents a notable presence in our threat database. A score of 228/100 places this address in the top tier of severity. Block and investigate any historical connections.
This IP is associated with a VPN or proxy service. Attackers frequently route their traffic through anonymizing services to obscure their true location. This makes attribution more challenging but the malicious behavior patterns remain detectable.
Related Threats
Security Intelligence
💡 DDoS Mitigation Approaches
Distributed denial of service attacks overwhelm infrastructure with traffic volume. Effective mitigation combines always-on traffic scrubbing, anycast network distribution, rate limiting, and the ability to quickly scale absorption capacity during attacks.
💡 IoT Device Compromise Patterns
Internet of Things devices are prime targets for botnet recruitment due to weak default credentials, infrequent updates, and always-on connectivity. Compromised IoT devices generate persistent scanning and attack traffic without their owners knowledge.