A DNS SRV record, short for Service record, tells clients which servers provide a named service and how to reach them. Unlike an A record, which maps a name to an IP address, an SRV record adds service-specific details such as priority, weight, port, and target host. In Windows domains, SRV records are central to locating domain controllers and other Active Directory services.
SRV records matter because many enterprise systems do not hard-code server addresses. They query DNS to discover the right authentication, mail, or application server at runtime. Attackers may target or poison this discovery path through DNS manipulation, causing clients to connect to the wrong host or fail open to weaker settings. Defenders watch SRV publication closely, verify that required records exist, and monitor for unexpected changes that could disrupt logons or reveal infrastructure details.