Infoblox, cloud networking and DNS security services, has released its 2025 DNS Threat Landscape Report. The report reveals a sharp rise in DNS-based cyber threats and highlights the growing use of AI in malicious activities.

According to Infoblox, attackers are leveraging AI-enabled deepfakes, malicious adtech, and evasive domain tactics. The report is based on real-time analysis of over 70 billion DNS queries per day from thousands of customer environments.

Infoblox reported that threat actors are abusing DNS by registering large volumes of domain names and exploiting misconfigurations to hijack trusted domains. These tactics help attackers impersonate brands and bypass security defenses.

Dr. Renée Burton, head of Infoblox Threat Intel, stated that traffic distribution systems (TDS) are widely used to disguise cybercrime. She emphasized the need for security teams to stay alert to emerging trends.

The report brings together data from the past 12 months, offering valuable insights for cybersecurity professionals. It also highlights the growing role of malicious adtech in DNS attacks.

Key findings include:

• 100.8 million new domains were observed, with 25.1% marked malicious or suspicious.
• 95% of threat-related domains appeared in just one customer environment.
• 82% of customer networks queried domains linked to malicious adtech.
• Nearly 500,000 TDS domains were seen over the year.
• Daily detections included DNS tunneling, exfiltration, and command and control using tools like Cobalt Strike and Sliver.

Infoblox researchers uncovered over 204,000 suspicious domain clusters and identified 10 new threat actors. They reported that many of these actors use automated systems to register massive sets of domains, evading traditional, reactive cybersecurity defenses.

The findings underline the limitations of forensic-based approaches. Since many threats are brand new and highly targeted, detection after-the-fact is often too late.

Infoblox advocates for predictive threat intelligence and preemptive DNS security. The company’s solution blocked 82% of threat-related queries before any harm was done.

By investing in proactive security strategies, organizations can stay ahead of AI-powered attackers.

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