Man-in-the-Middle Attack

Imagine you and your best friend are in the middle of class, wanting to talk without the teacher noticing. You decide to write what you want to say on a piece of paper and pass it to your friend. Just as you're about to hand it over, the teacher snatches it from your hand. Sad, right? Well, this is quite similar to the concept of a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack.

How Does a Man-in-the-Middle Attack Work?

The first step of a MitM attack involves the attacker intercepting communication between two victims or between a victim and a website. In this scenario, the attacker can steal the message you're trying to send to your friend or, in a more dangerous context, steal your credit card information when you submit it on a website or app.

Attackers often carry out this interception via unsecured Wi-Fi or DNS spoofing. Speaking of DNS spoofing, this is a cyberattack where the attacker tricks the DNS system into returning the wrong IP address for a website. This redirect sends users to fake or malicious sites, often to steal sensitive information, like passwords, or to infect devices with malware. In the ARP Spoofing Attack, a hacker uses their device to act as an intermediary between the victim's device and the router while they are connected to the internet, with the goal of stealing or altering data. For example, when you enter your information in a form on a website to log in, the data you submit is sent to the router. However, during an ARP spoofing attack, the data will first pass through the hacker's device, allowing them to modify or steal it.

Once the communication is intercepted, the second step is decrypting the victim's data (let?s stick with calling the user a 'victim' here!). The hacker will decrypt the stolen data before sending it to the intended recipient.

Example scenario: An attacker intercepts communication between a user and their bank during an online transaction.

Types of Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

• Wi-Fi Eavesdropping: The attacker sets up a fake Wi-Fi network that looks legitimate. Once the victim connects, the attacker can monitor and steal sensitive data.
• DNS Spoofing/Poisoning: The attacker redirects the victim to a fake website or app by corrupting the DNS server cache.
• Session Hijacking: The hacker uses cookies to hijack an active session, gaining unauthorized access to a victim's account.

Real-World Examples of Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

One notable example is Operation Aurora (2010), which was one of the largest cyber heists in history. It involved a sophisticated attack that stole sensitive government information from companies like Google, Yahoo, and more.

How to Prevent Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

• Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks, especially for sensitive transactions.
• Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for additional account security.
• Implement Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) to secure DNS queries and prevent DNS spoofing.

Conclusion

To protect against MitM attacks, it's crucial to stay vigilant. Watch for unusual network activity, secure your connections, and pay attention to notifications and warnings from your browser. For instance, if you receive a notification that someone else is trying to log in to your account, take it seriously and take immediate action.