MITM attack
Tags: cybersecurity, mitm, attack, network
Published: 2024-02-20 07:58:45

**MITM (Man in the Middle)** attack is a form of cyber attack in which an attacker gets between two parties while exchanging information, thereby reading or altering it. At this time, information passing through the transmission channel falls into the hands of an attacker. Thus, during a MITM attack, information can be obtained, altered, corrupted, or modified. A MITM attack poses a serious threat to network security because it compromises the confidentiality and integrity of information. To protect yourself from MITM attacks, you need to know their nature, the potential impact of the attack, and effective controls to mitigate security risks.

A MITM attack exploits vulnerabilities in communication protocols or network infrastructure. Common methods used in MITM attacks are: **ARP spoofing, IP spoofing, DNS spoofing**, interception of information transmitted over a Wi-Fi channel, and others. Using the presented methods, an attacker can find himself between the sender and recipient of information. This allows him to control the information received and transmitted.

One of the main risks of MITM attacks is the interception of sensitive information. An attacker could gain access to information such as user credentials, private messages, saved passwords, and more. Additionally, a hacker could alter messages, display fake websites to users, or execute unauthorized transactions or commands, which could result in large data losses or compromise critical infrastructure. In addition, another MITM attack vector is attacks that require control of the victim's (infected user) device. After a MITM attack, the hacker gains control of the user's device, which gives him the opportunity to carry out other, more dangerous attacks.

As we can imagine at first glance, an attacker has the ability to take possession of any information and change it. However, this is not true. A hacker can steal almost any data, however, based on the way connection protocols work, he can only read information that is not encrypted using special algorithms. If security protocols such as **SSL/TLS**, **HTTPS** and **HSTS** are used, it is almost impossible for a hacker to read the information and change it later.


![MITM attack](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/a8tjsrhercbi0c3clr7g.png)


![MITM attack](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/5ibie1duprcsvkp5obw8.png)

As can be seen from the images, during the implementation of the MITM attack, the attacker took over the user's credentials. However, the site the user is visiting uses the HTTP protocol, which does not encrypt data. It should be noted that the HTTP protocol is now being actively replaced by the HTTPS protocol, which implements data encryption. But this does not mean that the HTTPS protocol completely protects us from MITM attacks. There are MITM attacks that use special tools to bypass the HTTPS protocol. For example: **SSL stripping, SSL BEAST, HTTPS spoofing** and **SSL hijacking**. With their help, you can bypass the HTTPS protocol and intercept data. The main purpose of these methods is to downgrade HTTPS to HTTP or mislead the user by creating an illegitimate HTTPS page.

The MITM attack poses a serious threat to network security. To protect against such attacks, a number of tools are used to reduce the likelihood of an attack and protect both the network and users. Implementing secure communication protocols such as **Transport Layer Security (TLS)** and **Secure Shell (SSH)** ensures the encryption and integrity of data transmitted over the network. Using a VPN significantly reduces the likelihood of a MITM attack because the VPN uses an encryption protocol during data transfer. Another way is to use 2FA authentication. This method creates another layer of security that makes it difficult to carry out a MITM attack and capture information. In addition, by using 2FA authentication, the user reduces the risk of access to his personal information in case of other types of attacks.

In addition, to ensure network security, you can use **IDS/IPS** systems that detect MITM attack attempts. They can detect anomalous traffic or requests/commands on the network and respond accordingly.

Thus, a MITM attack is a fairly high-risk attack, the purpose of which may be to steal user personal data or compromise a network using a variety of modern approaches. It is the responsibility of the network administrator to take all possible measures to protect the network and users from such attacks.