A man in the middle MITM attacks are a frequent cybersecurity challenge that users face. As the term itself suggests, an MITM attack involves an uninvited middleman between a user’s computer and the service that they intend to access. This blog helps you uncover everything you need to know about this type of attack and what measures to take to handle it effectively.
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What is MITM Attack?
A simple MITM attack definition would be a cyberattack where a perpetrator covertly intercepts and alters the communication between a user and an application. It is often carried out with malicious intent to steal sensitive information from the user or inject malware into the exchange channel.
During the progression of man-in-the middle MITM attacks, the attacker impersonates either of the parties to keep the exchange undetected and make it sound like a usual one. Failure to detect and prevent MITM attacks results in the loss of login credentials, personal information, and financial data like credit card numbers. Common channels that are vulnerable to or targeted by a man-in-the middle hacker include SaaS websites, e-commerce services, and financial services.
How is a Man in the Middle Attacks Executed?
A man in the middle vulnerability is exploited by a hacker through two different phases. The first phase is the interception where the attacker intercepts the communication channel between a user and an application. Following a successful interception, the attacker proceeds to install malware to encrypt data that is being exchanged between the user and the app. Then the attacker decrypts the data and collects the information that they are looking to steal from it.
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What Are the Different Types of Man in The Middle MITM Attacks?
Cybercriminals carry out man in the middle cyber attacks using a variety of methods and tactics. Here are some of the common types of attacks of this nature.
IP Address Spoofing
IP address or Internet Protocol Address spoofing involves impersonating another website, email, or computer with a fake IP address. When a user accesses these fake websites or services, it gives the attacker access to the user’s systems.
HTTP Spoofing
HTTP spoofing is the act of altering requests and responses from an HTTPS site. This type of manipulation in the secure internet communication protocol allows the attacker to trick users into visiting a less secure HTTP site and then collect their sensitive information.
Email Account Hijacking
Email man-in-the middle attacks occur when the attacker gains unauthorized access to an email account. Following the access, they read, manipulate, or send fake emails to other victims. Therefore, it can also be considered a man in the middle of phishing.
Session Takeover
Session takeover is a tactic used by hackers in cybersecurity. In this case, they would hijack a user’s browsing session by accessing and manipulating session cookies. It allows them to mimic a legitimate user and get access to their data.
DNS Spoofing
DNS stands for Domain Name System. By spoofing the DNS server of a website, the attacker manages to redirect traffic to a malicious site. When the user visits these malicious sites after being tricked by this covert change, the attacker steals their information.
SSL Hijacking
When man in the middle attacks in the context of SSL hijacking, it is like an attacker intercepting and modifying the SSL/TLS connection. It is done to decrypt the secure communication that is going on and steal the data or inject malicious codes.
Wi-Fi Interception
In the case of a man in the middle attacking free WiFi, the attacker captures data exchanged over a free public Wi-Fi network. Victims subjected to this type of attack lose sensitive information like passwords or personal data.
Cache Manipulation
By inserting infectious code or data into a cache, attackers trick the users into getting false information from a website or online app they access. In some cases, cache poisoning allows hackers to redirect their victims to harmful websites.
How do you prevent a man-in-the-middle attack?
People often ask us to explain MITM attacks and how to prevent them. Here are a few methods to effectively thwart or prevent it.
Keep off public Wi-Fi connections:
Keeping off public Wi-Fi connections is always recommended to avoid losing your sensitive information to hackers. Public Wi-Fi networks are known for their vulnerability to man-in-the-middle attack WiFi incidents.
Apply network segmentation strategy:
If you are using a large network, it is highly recommended to divide it into smaller segments. This limits the spread of man-in-the-middle attacks in network security. Moreover, it allows easy detection and quick response.
Integrate a Certificate Management Process:
Having a robust certificate management system to ensure the authenticity and integrity of network certificates helps with effective man-in-the middle attack protection when the attacker uses fake certificates to trick you.
Always use HTTPS connections:
Make sure that all of your websites and applications employ HTTPS encryption. This will allow you to prevent any data loss or manipulation in the exchange. Man-in-the middle app attacks are frequent with those using insecure encryption like HTTP.
Utilize Multi-factor Authentication:
Using multi-factor authentication for your accounts is like adding an extra layer of security to them. It makes it harder for the attacker to gain access to your accounts through password hacking. Thus, it is an effective man-in-the middle attack prevention strategy.
Safeguard Your Emails with Encryption:
Using email encryption helps prevent man-in-the middle attacks, as it effectively scrambles all your sensitive information and makes it harder for the attacker to decipher any meaningful information from it.
Implement Privileged Access Management:
Ensure that there is proper control over privileged access to sensitive data. Keep a regular watch over the systems or accounts that have privileged access. This will effectively minimize attacks surfacing from such vulnerabilities.
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Examples of Man-In-The-Middle attacks
There have been numerous cases of man-in-the middle attacks in the last few years, reported from different parts of the world. Here is a list of a few high-profile cases.
- The most high-profile MITM cyber security attack, as per leaked documents by whistleblower Edward Snowden, involves the National Security Agency. The report says that the NSA manipulated SSL encryption certification, disguised it as Google, and intercepted users’ searches.
- In the case of the infamous Equifax man in the middle attack example, the company, which happens to be a reputed credit history reporting firm, experienced a massive data breach. It resulted in 100 million of its users having their sensitive financial information compromised.
- In another instance, Comcast, a popular ISP, replaced advertisements on third-party websites with its own advertisements. Manipulating JavaScript and employing code injection tactics, the MITM attack perpetrators could ensure that every user who uses its internet services gets to see the ads that they replaced with or inserted forcefully into ad-free content sections.
- Reports show a significant rise in the number of man-in-the-middle attack mobile app incidents. In the year 2021 alone, popular apps and web services like Cognyte, Facebook, Twitch, and LinkedIn were subject to huge data breach incidents, resulting in the compromise of billions of records.
How to Detect a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attack?
MITM attacks occur through different channels and devices. For instance, a man in the middle attacked an iPhone. While navigating these attacks, one might wonder if it is possible to identify them before they go too deep and start to cause serious damage. Discover below the steps to detect them.
Be cautious of uncommon URLs
Criminals use less-accessed URLs to manipulate and intercept them. So, monitor network traffic for unexpected URL redirects or modifications, and verify HTTPS encryption. Also, educate users on identifying and staying away from suspicious URLs.
Don’t ignore unusual disconnections
If you experience an unusual disconnection of your internet or service interruptions of web services, it could be resulting from a man-in-the middle attack on an app download.
Exercise care on public WiFi connections
While using a public WiFi network, one is very likely to come across an incident like an ARP spoofing man in the middle attack. Attackers use insecure networks for session hijacking and DoS attacks.
Conclusion
Man in the middle MITM attacks are a common cybersecurity threat that can be addressed with proper understanding and careful mitigation strategies. We hope this blog has provided you with valuable insights into some of the important questions you had about this type of attack. If you have any further questions or want to know more about our cybersecurity services designed to address man in the middle attack how to prevent, feel free to get in touch with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, using a VPN can help prevent MITM attacks to some extent, as it helps encrypt traffic and makes it harder for attackers to intercept and manipulate exchanges between a user and an internet service. However, it is not a foolproof prevention method.
No, MITM attacks do not fall under DoS attacks. While the former intercepts and manipulates data, the latter disrupts network availability by causing exhaustion of traffic or resources.
Most man-in-the middle attack definitions imply data theft, financial loss, unauthorized access, and privacy compromise as the common consequences.
There is no single way to prevent an MITM attack. You need to use a combination of strategies like using HTTPS with strong encryption, implementing secure networks (like VPNs), keeping track of network traffic, and educating users to identify and report suspicious activities.
