United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#1

Post by temp » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 7:57 PM UTC

United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days
metrics.torproject.org

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#2

Post by k-mcgrady » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:06 PM UTC

The linked page doesn't seem to have any info other than the stats. Can someone explain the reason for the spike?

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#3

Post by libeclipse » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:08 PM UTC

I can't find anything blatant in the news that would explain something like this, especially of this magnitude.

I think it might be a botnet or something similar, although that's just conjecture at this point.

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#4

Post by omginternets » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:09 PM UTC

Any chance this could be a state-sponsored attack aimed at correlating traffic?

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#5

Post by Cyph0n » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:12 PM UTC

omginternets wrote: post #4

Any chance this could be a state-sponsored attack aimed at correlating traffic?

This is probably the case. I don't think that there's any indication that UAE users are starting to use Tor en masse.

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#6

Post by noobermin » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:12 PM UTC

omginternets wrote: post #4

Any chance this could be a state-sponsored attack aimed at correlating traffic?

Wouldn't a state-sponsored entity be smarter than routing all their traffic through UAE such that it could receive attention on HN? I like the botnet explanation better.

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#7

Post by omginternets » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:14 PM UTC

noobermin wrote: post #6

omginternets wrote: post #4

Any chance this could be a state-sponsored attack aimed at correlating traffic?

Wouldn't a state-sponsored entity be smarter than routing all their traffic through UAE such that it could receive attention on HN? I like the botnet explanation better.

I don't know, but I find that expediency is usually a very real concern in such operations so it seems plausible for the UAE to cut corners and route traffic in a convenient (though not covert) manner.

Moreover, they may wish to route traffic through nodes they control.

I understand your point, but then again, I don't see why a botnet would route it's traffic through the UAE either.

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#8

Post by foota » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:15 PM UTC

Could this be a result of the articles about a "backdoor" in whatsapp?

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#9

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:15 PM UTC

noobermin wrote: post #6

omginternets wrote: post #4

Any chance this could be a state-sponsored attack aimed at correlating traffic?

Wouldn't a state-sponsored entity be smarter than routing all their traffic through UAE such that it could receive attention on HN? I like the botnet explanation better.

[deleted]

Re: United Arab Emirates goes from 10k Tor users to 250k in days

#10

Post by libeclipse » Sat, Jan 21, 2017, 8:19 PM UTC

omginternets wrote: post #7

noobermin wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't a state-sponsored entity be smarter than routing all their traffic through UAE such that it could receive attention on HN? I like the botnet explanation better.

I don't know, but I find that expediency is usually a very real concern in such operations so it seems plausible for the UAE to cut corners and route traffic in a convenient (though not covert) manner. Moreover, they may wish to route traffic through nodes they control. I understand your point, but then again, I don't see why a botnet would route it's traffic through the UAE either.

It may be a botnet that's targeting users in the UAE, and therefore connecting to the tor network from there.