PER-REQUEST CONTROL OF DNS BEHAVIOR

• US 20090157889A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OpenDNS Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Treuhaft, Noah
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,188 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

In various embodiments, a user or subscriber of a domain name system (DNS) service that provides various DNS resolution options or features, such as misspelling redirection, parental filters, domain blocking, or phishing protection through the DNS process, can influence how requests for domain name (DNS) information are handled on a per-request basis. The user or subscriber may configure the DNS client software of their personal computer or configure their broadband router to provide control information to a DNS server with DNS resolution options that enables the DNS server to resolve DNS queries with the DNS resolution options on a per-request basis. As a result, the user can mitigate exposure to pop-ups, pop-unders, banner ads, fraudulent offers, malware, viruses, or the like, from websites using the domain name system.

Claims

1. A method for resolving domain name system (DNS) queries, the method comprising:

receiving a DNS query from a first computer system at a second computer system configured to resolve DNS queries, the DNS query including control information provided by the first computer system that enables the second computer system to identify whether to use one or more options when resolving the DNS query;

parsing a domain name and the control information from the DNS query with the second computer system;

determining an IP address with the second computer system using at least one of the one or more options for resolving DNS queries based the domain name and the control information; and

generating a DNS response for the DNS query with the second computer system using the determined IP address.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the DNS query from the first computer system comprises receiving the DNS query with the control information encoding settings associated with the one or more options.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the control information encodes whether the one or more options are enabled or disabled.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the DNS query from the first computer system comprises receiving the DNS query with the control information encoding information identifying a subscriber.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the control information encodes an index specifying a location of one or more preferences provided by the subscriber for resolving domain names into IP addresses using the one or more options.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the IP address with the second computer system using the at least one of the one or more options based the domain name and the control information comprises:

identifying a setting in the control information for the at least one of the one or more options; and

resolving the IP address based on the domain name and the setting of the at least one option.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein identifying the setting in the control information for the at least one option comprises identifying a setting for at least one of a malformed domain name option, a proxy option, a security option, a phishing option, a parental filter option, a lingerie option, a mature option, nudity option, a pornography option, or a sexuality option.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the IP address with the second computer system using the at least one of the one or more options based the domain name and the control information comprises:

identifying one or more preferences using the control information, the one or more preferences provided by a subscriber for resolving domain names into IP addresses using the one or more options; and

resolving an IP address based on the domain name and the one or more preferences for the one or more options.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending the DNS response to the first computer system from the second computer system;

and

wherein an application uses the IP address specified in the DNS response that is different than an IP address associated with the domain name.

10. A system for resolving domain name system (DNS) queries, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive DNS queries via a communications network; and

a processor configured to;

receive a DNS query via the communications interface from a network device, the DNS query including control information provided by the network device that enables the processor to identify whether to use one or more options when resolving the DNS query;

parse a domain name and the control information from the DNS query;

determine an IP address using at least one of the one or more options for resolving DNS queries based the domain name and the control information; and

generate a DNS response for the DNS query using the determined IP address.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to receive the DNS query with the control information encoding settings associated with the one or more options.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the control information encodes whether the one or more options are enabled or disabled.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured to receive the DNS query with the control information encoding information identifying a subscriber.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the control information encodes an index specifying a location of one or more preferences provided by the subscriber for resolving domain names into IP addresses using the one or more options.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify a setting in the control information for the at least one of the one or more options; and

resolve the IP address based on the domain name and the setting of the at least one option to determine the IP address.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify one or more preferences using the control information, the one or more preferences provided by a subscriber for resolving domain names into IP addresses using the one or more options; and

resolve an IP address based on the domain name and the one or more preferences for the one or more options to determine the IP address.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to send the DNS response to the network device;

and

wherein an application uses the IP address specified in the DNS response that is different than an IP address associated with the domain name.

18. A network device comprising:

a communications interface; and

a processor configured to receive a request from an application to resolve a domain name into an Internet Protocol (IP) address, to generate a DNS query based on the request, to modify the DNS query using one or more encoding techniques that enable a domain name server to identify whether to use one or more options for resolving DNS queries when resolving the modified DNS query, to send the modified DNS query to the domain name server, to receive a DNS response for the modified DNS query, and to forward an IP address associated with the DNS response to the application.

19. The network device of claim 18 wherein the application communicates with a computer system at the IP address which is different from an IP address associated with the domain name requested by the application.

20. A computer-readable storage medium configured to store a computer-executable program for resolving domain name system (DNS) queries, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

code for receiving a DNS query, the DNS query including control information provided by a first computer system that enables a second computer system to identify whether to use one or more options when resolving the DNS query;

code for parsing a domain name and the control information from the DNS query;

code for determining an IP address using at least one of the one or more options for resolving DNS queries based the domain name and the control information; and

code for generating a DNS response for the DNS query using the determined IP address.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the code for receiving the DNS query comprises code for receiving the DNS query with the control information encoding settings associated with the one or more options.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the code for receiving the DNS query comprises code for receiving the DNS query with the control information encoding information identifying a subscriber.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the code for determining the IP address using the at least one of the one or more options based the domain name and the control information comprises:

code for identifying a setting in the control information for the at least one of the one or more options; and

code for resolving the IP address based on the domain name and the setting of the at least one option.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 wherein the code for determining the IP address with the second computer system using the at least one of the one or more options based the domain name and the control information comprises:

code for identifying one or more preferences using the control information, the one or more preferences provided by a subscriber for resolving domain names into IP addresses using the one or more options; and

code for resolving an IP address based on the domain name and the one or more preferences for the one or more options.

25. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20 further comprising code for sending the DNS response to the first computer system from the second computer system;

and

wherein an application uses the IP address specified in the DNS response that is different than an IP address associated with the domain name