Exploring MiniMedusa: The Streamlined DDoS Configuration Derived from MegaMedusa

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks continue to pose significant challenges in cybersecurity. Tools like MegaMedusa and its more compact variant or a configuration, MiniMedusa, have made it easier for individuals, regardless of their technical expertise, to launch potent DDoS attacks.

The Genesis of MegaMedusa

MegaMedusa is a Node.js-based DDoS tool developed by RipperSec, a pro-Palestinian hacktivist group. Established in June 2023, RipperSec has rapidly grown, accumulating over 5.000 subscribers on its Telegram channel by March 2025. The group engages in various cyber activities, including data breaches, website defacements, and DDoS attacks. MegaMedusa, their publicly available web DDoS attack tool, simplifies launching large-scale Layer 7 (application layer) DDoS attacks, making it accessible to a broader audience.

Key Features of MegaMedusa

MegaMedusa incorporates several techniques to enhance the effectiveness of its attacks:

• Randomized Headers: The tool varies headers such as User-Agent, Accept-Language, and Referrer to mimic legitimate traffic from diverse sources.
• Dynamic Request Paths: Appending random query parameters and path segments creates unique URLs, complicating detection efforts.
• Variable HTTP Methods: The tool randomly selects HTTP methods (GET, POST, HEAD, etc.), adding unpredictability to the attack patterns.
• IP Spoofing: MegaMedusa utilizes headers like X-Forwarded-For to obscure the true origin of requests, making mitigation more challenging.

These features collectively make MegaMedusa a formidable tool for executing sophisticated DDoS attacks.

What is Layer-7 DDoS?

A Layer 7 DDoS attack is a type of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that targets the application layer of the OSI model—the layer responsible for handling web requests. Instead of overwhelming a server with raw traffic like traditional network-layer attacks, Layer 7 attacks focus on exhausting a website’s resources by mimicking real user behavior. This makes them particularly difficult to detect and mitigate.

These attacks typically work by flooding web servers with requests that require significant processing power, such as accessing dynamic pages, querying databases, or loading heavy scripts. Attackers often disguise their traffic by rotating IP addresses, modifying headers, and using botnets to make the attack appear like legitimate user activity. Common techniques include HTTP floods, where attackers send massive numbers of GET or POST requests, and Slowloris attacks, which keep connections open for long periods to exhaust server resources.

Introducing MiniMedusa

Building upon MegaMedusa’s capabilities, MiniMedusa offers a streamlined version tailored for users seeking a more accessible yet effective DDoS tool.

Notable Features of MiniMedusa

MiniMedusa retains several core features of its predecessor while optimizing for simplicity:

• User-Agent Management: The default User-Agent is set to axios/1.8.1, but users can customize it to suit specific attack scenarios.
• Target Restrictions: To prevent misuse, MiniMedusa includes safeguards against targeting specific top-level domains (TLDs), such as “.my” (Malaysia) and “.id” (Indonesia). Attempting to target these TLDs may cause the script to self-delete and reboot, especially if configured with sudo privileges without a password.
• Configuration Access: Users can browse various configurations and access current IP lists, facilitating tailored attack strategies.

MiniMedusa Configuration: How to Set It Up

MiniMedusa comes with several configuration options that allow you to customize the tool to your specific needs. Here’s a breakdown of the key settings provided by github user cudeso:

Output Configuration:
MiniMedusa allows you to define where the results are saved. You can specify a file for the output by enabling write_to_minimedusa_file_output and setting the file name, such as minimedusa_output.txt. Here’s how you configure it:

write_to_minimedusa_file_output = True

minimedusa_file_output = “minimedusa_output.txt”

Passive DNS Lookup:
To enhance the data analysis, MiniMedusa supports Passive DNS lookups through CIRCL. You can enable this by setting do_pdns to True. Additionally, you need to provide your CIRCL credentials to authenticate the DNS lookup:

do_pdns = True

pypdns = pypdns.PyPDNS(basic_auth=(‘USERNAME’, ‘PASSWORD’))

Reverse DNS Lookup:

MiniMedusa also provides the option to perform Reverse DNS lookups. To enable this feature, set do_rdns to True, and specify the DNS server for reverse DNS queries using rdns_server:

do_rdns = True

rdns_server = ‘your_dns_server’

Top-Level Domain (TLD) Check:

For more refined results, you can highlight domains with specific TLDs. To filter for a particular TLD (such as .com or .xyz), use the tld_check parameter:

tld_check = “.xyz”

Example Output: Analyzing the Results

Once you’ve configured MiniMedusa, you can parse IPs and gather detailed data about network connections. Below is a sample of the output generated by the tool:

MegaMedusa config: Parsed 38307 IPs (2025-03-13)

Records

————

IP|ASN|CC|AS Name|RDNS|Domains

72.10.160.170|36666|CA|GTCOMM, CA|None|[]

154.236.177.101|36992|EG|ETISALAT-MISR, EG|HOST-101-177.236.154.nile-online.net.|[]

203.190.44.225|45317|ID|JATARA-AS-ID Jaringan Lintas Utara, PT, ID|None|[]

72.10.160.174|36666|CA|GTCOMM, CA|None|[]

115.127.5.146|24342|BD|BRAC-BDMAIL-AS-BD BRACNet Limited, BD|host-146.bracnet.net.|[]

…

Mitigation Strategies

The accessibility and user-friendly nature of tools like MiniMedusa lower the barrier to entry for conducting DDoS attacks, potentially increasing their prevalence.

To protect against DDoS attacks facilitated by tools like MiniMedusa, organizations should consider the following measures:

• Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): WAFs can filter out malicious traffic and block common attack patterns associated with DDoS tools.
• Implement Rate Limiting: Limiting the number of requests from a single IP address can help mitigate the impact of volumetric attacks.
• Utilize Content Delivery Networks (CDNs): CDNs distribute traffic across multiple servers, absorbing and mitigating DDoS attacks more effectively.
• Engage DDoS Protection Services: Specialized services can provide real-time monitoring and automatic mitigation of DDoS attacks.

In Summary

MiniMedusa is yet another reminder of how easy it has become to launch powerful DDoS attacks with minimal effort. With tools like this becoming more accessible, organizations need to stay ahead with strong security measures. Investing in firewalls, rate limiting, and DDoS protection isn’t optional anymore—it’s a necessity. Cybercriminals aren’t slowing down, so neither should cybersecurity defenses.

IP Addresses without Privates IPs for MiniMedusa: Click Here

How Can SOCRadar Help?

SOCRadar offers advanced tools and services designed to help organizations enhance their security posture and effectively manage DDoS threats. With solutions like SOCRadar Labs’ DoS Resiliency and SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting, organizations can gain proactive protection against a range of cyber threats, including those posed by DDoS attacks.

• SOCRadar Labs DoS Resiliency: This tool helps businesses assess their vulnerabilities to DDoS attacks and provides critical insights into potential attack vectors. By leveraging this tool, organizations can fortify their systems, ensuring they are resilient against large-scale DDoS campaigns.

• SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting: With SOCRadar’s Threat Hunting capabilities, security teams can detect and mitigate potential threats before they escalate. The platform actively searches for signs of malicious activity, including DDoS threats, ensuring early detection and rapid response to attacks.