Man In The Middle ARP Protocol Basics

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Man In The Middle ARP Protocol Basics

The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol used to map a network address (such as an IP address) to a physical address (such as a MAC address). ARP is used in many different network technologies, including Ethernet and Wi-Fi.

A man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack is a type of attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two parties, allowing them to eavesdrop on the conversation or even manipulate the communication. In an ARP MITM attack, the attacker intercepts ARP requests and replies, allowing them to redirect traffic between two parties.

In a typical ARP MITM attack, the attacker sends forged ARP messages to both parties, making each party believe that the attacker's MAC address is the MAC address of the other party. As a result, all traffic between the two parties is routed through the attacker's machine, allowing the attacker to intercept and manipulate the traffic.

To protect against ARP MITM attacks, network administrators can use several techniques, including:

1. Static ARP entries: By configuring static ARP entries on a device, network administrators can ensure that the device only accepts ARP messages from known MAC addresses.

2. ARP spoofing detection: Some network devices have built-in ARP spoofing detection capabilities that can detect when an attacker is attempting an ARP MITM attack.

3. Network segmentation: By segmenting the network into smaller subnets, network administrators can limit the scope of an ARP MITM attack.

4. Encryption: By encrypting network traffic, network administrators can protect against eavesdropping by an attacker.

It's important to note that while ARP MITM attacks are a serious threat, they are not the only type of MITM attack. Other types of MITM attacks include DNS spoofing and SSL stripping. Network administrators should take a multi-layered approach to security to protect against all types of attacks.