This is a situation created by deliberately or intentionally providing domain name server (DNS) data that is not from authoritative DNS sources. This can happen due to poor software design, misconfigured nameservers, and maliciously crafted scripts that take advantage of the traditional open architecture of the DNS system. Once the DNS server receives this unauthenticated data and caches it temporarily for future performance, it is considered infected, propagating the effects of the situation to the server's clients.