IP Threat Report
4.168.228.242
ABUSE.MOM — BEHAVE OR GET EXPOSED
Geolocation & Classification
Detection Signatures
| Signature | Description | Points | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 404 ratio >= 60% | Majority of requests returned 404 — enumeration | +25 | |
| Burst 14/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 15/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 16/2s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 40/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 41/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 54/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Burst 55/10s | Abnormally fast request rate — automated scanning | +35 | |
| Danger medium hits: 128 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 180 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 38 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger medium hits: 90 | Medium-risk: admin panels, config files | +60 | |
| Danger strong hits: 16 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 24 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 32 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 | |
| Danger strong hits: 8 | High-risk paths: shells, RCE vectors, exploits | +100 |
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 4.168.228.242 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
🔎 Directory Scan Defense
IP 4.168.228.242 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 4.168.228.242.
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
4.168.228.242 has been assigned a threat score of 255/100 (Critical). This represents a critical risk level. Our detection systems have flagged multiple high-confidence indicators of malicious intent from this address.
The following attack categories were identified:
📊 Threat Analysis
Network traffic from 4.168.228.242, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, operating on the network of Microsoft Corporation, has been classified as malicious by our automated threat scoring engine. Over a period of 2 days, this IP generated 1,456 malicious requests, averaging approximately 728 requests per day. The IP is classified as hosting/datacenter infrastructure, commonly associated with rented servers used for automated attack campaigns, botnet command-and-control, or vulnerability scanning at scale. Two attack patterns were identified (Path Enumeration and Request Flooding), suggesting a semi-automated campaign that targets multiple vulnerabilities. Our records show 101 malicious IPs originating from South Africa, positioning it as a significant contributor to global threat activity. With a threat score of 255/100, 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
🇿🇦 Top threats from South Africa
94.156.152.43 (340)94.156.152.15 (305)34.35.175.130 (298)102.37.110.74 (280)102.37.102.243 (280)View all →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.
💡 Subdomain Takeover Vulnerabilities
Subdomain takeover occurs when DNS records point to decommissioned services. Attackers claim the abandoned resource and serve content under the trusted domain, enabling cookie theft, phishing, and reputation damage.