Today we live in a digitalized environment where computers and other devices are continually transferring data over the network in the form of packets. These packets are data segments sent from one computer to another over a network and are involved in almost everything. From browsing the internet to managing the entire database of your organization, packets are transferred constantly over the network.
As per benign or malicious purposes (for example by network administrators and cyber criminals respectively) These packets can be captured, modified, and destroyed before they reach their destination. So, to obtain a strong foothold in today's world of cyber security, a firm grasp of fundamental terminologies like packet sniffing is crucial. This article will explain what is packet sniffing, how it is done, different types of packet sniffing, and how to prevent packet sniffing, along with best practices. So, let's get started.
A packet sniffer is a tool that mainly detects and monitors network traffic, allowing network administrators to verify and manage the flow of data for purposes related to networking and cybersecurity. The tool can be either hardware or software. However, it is important to consider that hackers can also exploit these tools to gain unauthorized access and perform intrusions.
A packet sniffing attack, or simply a sniffing attack, is a cyber-attack that involves intercepting and misusing content (like reading sensitive data) passing through a network in the form of packets. Unencrypted email communications, login passwords, and financial information are common targets for a packet sniffing attack. Besides this, an attacker may also use sniffing tools to hijack packets by injecting malicious code into the packet itself, which executes once it reaches the target device.
Credit: Toolbox
A good example of a packet sniffing attack is DNS cache poisoning, DNS is the protocol that translates the domains into IP for the understanding of the computer and to avoid unneeded lookup browser stores the IP address of such servers in their cache, in DNS cache poisoning attacker sniffs the request through Burpsuite or other interception tools and modify it to malicious DNS servers and cache stores that in this way the DNS amplification type of attacks can be performed.
If that sounds interesting, be sure to check out the CEH Course, where we go over major packet-sniffing techniques along with other hacking techniques.
Generally, there are two types of sniffing attacks, depending upon the tools that are used to carry out the attack.
A hardware packet sniffer is intended to connect to and analyze a network. A hardware packet sniffer can ensure that no packets are lost owing to filtering, routing, or other purposeful or unintentional reasons by inserting directly into the physical network at the proper point. A hardware packet sniffer either stores or transmits the intercepted packets to a collector, which logs the data gathered by the hardware packet sniffer for further analysis.
Nowadays, the majority of packet sniffers are software-based. While each network interface connected to a network can receive all network traffic that passes across it, most are configured to not do so as it can be used to send malicious code. A software packet sniffer modifies this setting, causing the network interface to receive all network traffic up the stack. For most network adapters, this is known as promiscuous mode. Once in promiscuous mode, a packet sniffer's functionality consists of isolating, reassembling, and recording any software packets that flow through the interface, independent of their destination addresses. All traffic that goes across the physical network interface is collected by software packet sniffers. That traffic is then recorded and utilized.
Let us briefly look at how packet sniffing in cyber security is actually carried out at a fundamental level. A network interface card (NIC) is a hardware component in any computer that allows it to connect with a network. Non-addressed traffic is ignored by default by NICs. Sniffing attacks necessitate the use of promiscuous mode on the NICs, which is a mode that allows the NICs to accept all network traffic (more on that later). By carrying out data packet sniffing and decoding the encoded information in data packets, sniffers may listen in on all communication travelling through the NICs. Weak or unencrypted data packets make sniffing attacks much more accessible for hackers.
Sniffing can be done in two ways, active or passive.
Active sniffing attacks employ the use of advanced pieces of hardware known as switches. Unlike hubs that send data to all ports even when it isn't needed, switches send data to specified MAC addresses of computers on a network. Active sniffing attacks are often initiated by injecting Address Resolution Protocols (ARPs) into a network in order to overflow the Switch Content Address Memory (CAM) table. The rerouted traffic to other ports allows the attacker to sniff the traffic from the switch.
This type of sniffing is generally carried out at the hub. Unlike active sniffing, the hub may be immediately injected with a sniffer device to simply collect data packets. However, hubs are rarely utilized nowadays, therefore passive sniffing attacks are also rarely recorded.
We’ve already went over some of the malicious uses of Packet Sniffing, but there are other legitimate uses. Let’s take a quick look at both of the following:
Networks are extremely complicated, with different sorts of packets flowing in, out, and across the networked machines. This complication makes it easy for things to go wrong. Packet sniffing tools provide network managers with real-time visibility into what is going on in their networks. These technologies assist them in monitoring network traffic, determining whether everything is functioning well, pinpointing bottlenecks, and providing the information required to troubleshoot problems or detect whether the systems are under malicious attack. Wireshark is one of the most commonly used sniffing tool used for legitimate reasons.
We've talked about how administrators may utilize packet sniffing techniques to obtain a better knowledge of their networks, diagnose problems, and detect threats. But what happens when a malicious attacker does their own packet sniffing on the organization’s network traffic? Many packets that move across a network can be intercepted and logged by packet sniffers. This opens another point of vulnerability, especially if sensitive data goes across the network in an unencrypted manner. An attacker can enter the network and capture all of the packets that flow across it. This can provide them with access to sensitive information of the company or its network users.
When carrying out packet sniffing attacks, threat actors can use various methods:
Session hijacking, also known as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) session hijacking, involves stealing a web user's session ID and impersonating the authorized user. Once the attacker has obtained the user's session ID, they can easily use it to disguise themselves as that user and do any network-enabled tasks that the user is permitted to perform.
DNS poisoning, also known as DNS cache poisoning or DNS spoofing, is an another fraudulent cyberattack in which hackers divert internet traffic to phishing websites. DNS poisoning poses a risk to both individuals and businesses. One of the most serious issues with DNS poisoning is that once a device has been infected, resolving the problem may be difficult since the device may default to the illegitimate site.
An attacker uses a JavaScript sniffing attack to inject lines of code (i.e., a script) onto a website, which then collects personal information input by users into online forms: often, online payment forms. The most typically targeted user data is credit card information, names, addresses, passwords, and phone numbers.
Hackers often transmit fake ARP messages over a local area network, which is known as ARP poisoning or ARP spoofing. These attacks are intended to redirect traffic away from its intended destination and toward an attacker. The attacker's MAC address is connected to the target's IP address, which only works on ARP-enabled networks.
A DHCP attack is a type of active packet sniffing example used by attackers to gather and modify sensitive data. DHCP is a client/server protocol that assigns a computer an IP address. Along with the IP address, the DHCP server gives configuration data such as the default gateway and subnet mask. When a DHCP client device boots up, it sends out broadcasting traffic, which may be intercepted and modified via a packet sniffing attack.
You can follow our IT Security Certifications to learn more about different methods that are used for packet sniffing.
Packet sniffing plays a critical role in network management. It helps troubleshoot issues, identify routing problems, and detect misconfigured nodes. By analyzing traffic, you can verify DHCP and DNS requests, check SSL/HTTPS encryption, and optimize routing paths. This technique also highlights bandwidth-heavy applications and authentication issues, guiding necessary upgrades and software improvements. Monitoring traffic trends and spotting security issues, like unencrypted credentials, ensures proper encryption and early detection of potential threats.
Thus, you should consider packet sniffing when you want to improve network performance and troubleshoot applications for secure and efficient network operation.
Attackers used packet sniffing to steal over 100 million debit and credit card numbers by capturing data in transit from Heartland’s payment processing network. They exploited vulnerabilities in their system to intercept sensitive financial information.
In May 2012, Flame malware was detected, which was designed to spy and steal sensitive information in Iran, Syria, and other Middle Eastern countries by monitoring and intercepting unencrypted communications. It could record audio, screenshots, keyboard activity, and network traffic, steal documents and conversations, create backdoors for further exploitation, and spread across local networks to other systems.
In 2017, the Russian hacker group APT28 used the EternalBlue exploit to attack hotel Wi-Fi networks in Europe and the Middle East. Their goal was to steal business travellers credentials by tricking guests into downloading malware disguised as hotel reservation forms. The attack involved spreading the malware through local networks, copying usernames, and escalating privileges.
The remote access trojan targets Chinese gambling sites, using live streaming to spy on victims. It exploits Open Broadcaster Software to stream desktops to the cloud and steals data by capturing screenshots, cookies, and login credentials. The malware spreads via fake app installers and misuses Alibaba Cloud to host and store stolen data.
It’s no doubt that Packet Sniffing attacks are now more common than ever, and this is largely due to the wide availability of different packet sniffers intended for legitimate use which are later modified by the attackers. However, there are some precautionary measures that you can take which might stop or protect you from falling victim to these sorts of attacks.
Because an unsecured network lacks firewall and anti-virus protection, the information transmitted over the network is unencrypted and easily accessible. When consumers expose their devices to insecure Wi-Fi networks, network sniffing attacks can easily be carried out. Attackers use unsecured networks to install packet sniffers, which intercept and read any data sent over the network. An attacker can also monitor network traffic by creating a bogus "free" public Wi-Fi network.
Encryption of data increases security by making it necessary for attackers to decrypt it before it can be used, which isn’t an easy task. All incoming and outgoing communication is encrypted before being shared over a virtual private network or VPN. Any attacker sniffing would be unable to see the websites visited or the data transmitted and received.
Network administrators of an organization should scan and monitor their networks using bandwidth monitoring or network mapping tools to enhance the network environment and identify sniffing attacks.
Some popular applications that are built to detect sniffing tools on your device include Anti Sniff, Neped, ARP Watch and Snort.
The URL of encrypted websites start with "HTTPS" (hypertext transfer protocol secure), suggesting that user interaction on those websites is secure and guarantees that data is encrypted before it is transmitted to a server. Websites that begin with "HTTP" cannot provide the same level of security, so to avoid packet sniffing, it is advisable to visit websites that begin with "HTTPS."
Endpoints such as laptops, PCs, and mobile devices when connected to networks, allow security threats such as packet sniffers to infiltrate easily into the organization’s network. Therefore, a powerful antivirus tool should be used to prevent malware from infecting a system by recognizing anything that shouldn't be on a computer, such as a sniffer.
An intrusion detection system (IDS) is software that monitors network traffic for any unusual activity and alerts prospective intruders. It can scan a network or system for harmful activity or policy breaches, and any potentially dangerous behavior or breach is often notified to an administrator or consolidated through a security information and event management (SIEM) system.
Social engineering is often widely employed by attackers in order to get the victim into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information. With respect to sniffing attacks, watch out for emails that seem fake and also avoid clicking on suspicious links, among other things.
Currently, many different network sniffing tools have been developed and are actively being used in the industry. They can be hardware based sniffing devices, or software-based tools. Let’s go over few of the main ones:
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Wireshark is a popular open-source, cross-platform network protocol analyzer, or a packet sniffer in other words, that captures packets from a network connection. It is widely used, from home computers to IT industries.
Another packet analyzer known as tcpdump is run from the command line, as opposed to others having a nice GUI. It may be used to study network traffic by intercepting and displaying packets sent or received by the machine on which it is executing. It is compatible with Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems.
dSniff is a collection of password sniffing and network traffic analysis tools designed to parse various application protocols and extract pertinent data. It can obtain information by analyzing a number of protocols (FTP, Telnet, POP, rLogin, Microsoft SMB, SNMP, IMAP, and so on).
NetworkMiner is usually used as a passive network sniffer/packet capture program to discover operating systems, sessions, hostnames, open ports, and so on without causing any network traffic. NetworkMiner is one of the most widely used network analysis tools for detecting hosts and open ports via packet sniffing. It can also be used offline.
Kismet is a WIDS (wireless intrusion detection) framework and a wireless network and device detector which is often used to carry out wireless packet sniffing attacks. Kismet supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interfaces, as well as certain SDR (software defined radio) hardware and other specialized capture hardware.
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Packet sniffing attack is a serious threat in a society where we are more reliant on networked technology to perform personal and professional tasks. It enables hackers to obtain access to data traffic traveling over a network - and with so much sensitive information transmitted over the internet, protecting against packet sniffing attacks is critical. Sophisticated sniffers may exploit vulnerabilities and potentially breach the network security, putting companies at huge risk. The greatest defense against malicious packet sniffing is to monitor the network landscape on a frequent basis, looking for strange activity or abnormalities. Recently, organizations are investing in advanced artificial intelligence methods to protect their data against sniffing. These solutions can be employed to identify even minor changes in network behavior, which IT managers can rectify instantly.
If you found this "what is packet sniffing" article informative, consider reading a bit about our KnowledgeHut’s CEH Course which goes over industry-leading ethical hacking training to protect your organization against the most sophisticated threats.
Sniffing tools are commonly available to download, as most are open-source software for educational or legitimate purposes like we discussed before. But that also means that they can be easily accessed by hackers, who can use them to monitor unencrypted data in packets to uncover what information is being sent or received by the victim. If passwords and authentication tokens are delivered in these packets, they can be intercepted.
Sniffing is the method by which an attacker gains access to a network and listens in on its traffic. Spoofing is the process of making a false IP address the source of a packet in order to gain some benefit from it.
Any sniffer attempting to monitor traffic across a VPN will only see scrambled data, rendering it worthless to the hacker, and ultimately preventing packet sniffing.
Sniffers are usually passive and simply collect data. As a result, sniffers are particularly difficult to detect, especially when operating on a shared Ethernet network. Detecting network sniffers might be difficult, but it is certainly not impossible.
A sniffer is a tool that is used to carry out packet sniffing, either for legitimate or malicious reasons.
Packet sniffing gathers various types of information from network traffic, including the content of data packets, source and destination addresses, and protocols used. If transmitted in plaintext, it can capture login credentials, session data like cookies and tokens, and details about bandwidth usage. This extensive data collection allows for thorough network analysis and troubleshooting.
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