IP Threat Report
20.223.240.16
ABUSE.MOM — BEHAVE OR GET EXPOSED
Geolocation & Classification
Detection Signatures
| Signature | Description | Points | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| UA suspicious (short/empty) | Behavioral anomaly detected by automated analysis | +15 | |
| Danger strong hits: 3 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +75 | |
| Danger medium hits: 302 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 15 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 52 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 14 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 53 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 2 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +20 | |
| Danger strong hits: 2 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +50 | |
| Danger medium hits: 108 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| 404 ratio >= 60% | Majority of requests returned 404 — enumeration | +25 | |
| Burst: 57 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 108 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger strong hits: 4 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger medium hits: 3 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +30 | |
| Danger strong hits: 9 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger medium hits: 176 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 54 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 51 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 462 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger strong hits: 1 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +25 | |
| Danger medium hits: 1 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +10 | |
| Danger strong hits: 6 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| 404 ratio 40-60% | Majority of requests returned 404 — enumeration | +15 | |
| Probe pattern 302->404 same path | Behavioral anomaly detected by automated analysis | +20 | |
| Danger medium hits: 16 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 25 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 88 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 52 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 88 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 159 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 184 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 106 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 55 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 159 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 182 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 50 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 13 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 48 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 200 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 100 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 58 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 100 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger strong hits: 21 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger medium hits: 54 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 49 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger strong hits: 10 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger medium hits: 314 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger strong hits: 15 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger medium hits: 308 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 55 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 300 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 200 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 22 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 22 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 22 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 56 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 54 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 196 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 181 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 197 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 33 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 33 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 28 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Burst: 42 req / 2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst: 42 req / 10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 |
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 20.223.240.16 is blocked at application level (HTTP 403)
- Consider blocking at firewall level (iptables/CSF) to reduce server load
- Report abuse to the network provider via their abuse contact
- Ensure sensitive files (.env, .git, backups) are not accessible from the web
🤖 Bot Detection
Address UA spoofing from 20.223.240.16: maintain blocklist of known malicious UA strings, require consistent UA across sessions, implement TLS fingerprinting.
🌊 Flood / DDoS Mitigation
Implement limit_req_zone in nginx. Deploy CDN with DDoS protection. Configure SYN cookies and connection tracking to throttle 20.223.240.16.
🔎 Directory Scan Defense
IP 20.223.240.16 is enumerating directories. Configure fail2ban apache-404 jail after 10+ 404 errors. Disable directory listings. Normalize all 404 responses.
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
20.223.240.16 has been assigned a threat score of 280/100 (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
Threat intelligence analysis has linked 20.223.240.16 to malicious activity originating from Dublin, Ireland, operating on the network of Microsoft Corporation. The address has been under observation since its initial detection. During its 2-day observation window, we recorded 83 hostile requests from this IP — roughly 41.5 per day on average. Classified as a hosting IP, this address likely runs on a rented server or cloud instance. Attackers prefer datacenter IPs for their high bandwidth and disposable nature. With 3 different attack patterns detected, this IP exhibits behavior characteristic of advanced automated scanning frameworks. Ireland currently accounts for 101 blocked IPs in our database, making it a significant source of malicious traffic. With a threat score of 280/100, this IP is among the most dangerous addresses in our database. Immediate and complete blocking is strongly recommended.
This IP belongs to a hosting or data center provider. Malicious traffic from hosting infrastructure often originates from compromised VPS instances, rented servers used for scanning campaigns, or abused free-tier cloud accounts. Hosting providers typically respond to abuse reports within 24-72 hours.
Related Threats
Security Intelligence
💡 TLS Fingerprinting (JA3/JA4)
TLS fingerprinting creates unique identifiers based on how clients negotiate encrypted connections. The JA3 and JA4 methods generate hashes from TLS ClientHello parameters, enabling identification of specific tools and malware regardless of IP address changes.
💡 Bulletproof Hosting Ecosystem
Bulletproof hosting providers deliberately ignore abuse complaints, creating safe havens for malicious operations. These providers often operate in jurisdictions with weak cybercrime enforcement, offering services specifically marketed to criminal organizations.