The DoS attack, in which the attacker establishes a large number of half-open or fully open TCP connections at the target host is __________. 

The correct answer is Connection flooding.

Key Points

• Connection flooding is a type of Denial of Service (DoS) attack where the attacker establishes a large number of half-open or fully open TCP connections at the target host.
• This type of attack exploits the TCP handshake process by initiating multiple connections but never completing them, or by maintaining a large number of open connections.
• The target host's resources become overwhelmed with the high number of connections, leading to legitimate users being unable to establish a connection.
• Connection flooding can exhaust the target's available connections and memory, causing server performance degradation or complete unavailability.
• Commonly used tools for connection flooding include Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC) and High Orbit Ion Cannon (HOIC).

Additional Information

• Mitigation techniques for connection flooding attacks include implementing connection rate limiting, using firewalls, and employing Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
• Network administrators can monitor network traffic for unusual patterns that may indicate a connection flooding attack.
• Using SYN cookies can help protect against SYN flood attacks, a form of connection flooding.
• Organizations should regularly update and patch their systems to protect against known vulnerabilities that could be exploited for connection flooding attacks.