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ARP Spoofing

·418 words·2 mins
lab1918
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lab1918

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) spoofing, also known as ARP poisoning, is a type of network attack in which an attacker sends falsified ARP messages over a local area network (LAN). This results in the linking of an attacker’s MAC (Media Access Control) address with the IP address of a legitimate computer or server on the network. The consequences of such an attack can be significant and include man-in-the-middle attacks, denial of service attacks, and session hijacking.

How ARP Spoofing Works
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  1. Normal ARP Process: Normally, ARP is used to map IP addresses to their corresponding physical MAC addresses in a local network. A device sends an ARP broadcast query to find the MAC address associated with an IP address.

  2. Spoofing Attack: In an ARP spoofing attack, the attacker sends false ARP responses. These responses convince other devices on the network to associate the attacker’s MAC address with the IP address of a legitimate network device.

  3. Traffic Interception: As a result, traffic that is intended for the legitimate device is mistakenly sent to the attacker. This allows the attacker to intercept, modify, or block the traffic before forwarding it to the intended recipient.

Consequences of ARP Spoofing
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  • Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Attackers can eavesdrop on network traffic, intercept data, and conduct session hijacking.
  • Denial of Service: By associating a non-existent MAC address with the IP address of a critical server, attackers can make the server unavailable.
  • Data Theft: Sensitive data can be intercepted and stolen.

Prevention and Mitigation
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  1. Static ARP Entries: Manually entering static ARP records is a basic method to prevent spoofing, but it is impractical for large networks.

  2. ARP Inspection: Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) can be used on switches to validate ARP packets. DAI checks the MAC-to-IP address bindings and blocks invalid responses.

  3. Network Segmentation: Segmenting the network can limit the impact of ARP spoofing attacks by isolating different parts of the network.

  4. Security Software: Use security tools that can detect and prevent ARP spoofing. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) can be effective.

  5. VPN and Encryption: Use VPNs and end-to-end encryption to protect sensitive data, even if ARP spoofing occurs.

  6. Education and Awareness: Educating network users about the risks of ARP spoofing and implementing strong security policies can help mitigate risks.

ARP spoofing is a significant security concern in networks that rely on ARP for IP-to-MAC address resolution. Regular monitoring, the use of security tools, and the implementation of robust network policies and practices are essential for protection against these types of attacks.