These days, computers are an important part of human life. People store their data, connect with others, and perform various types of operations online or within a network. To perform all these operations safely and among authorized users only, it has become very essential for humans to keep their data safe from unauthorized users. Hackers hack or capture the information or data on a network using sniffing tools. This process of hacking confidential data on a network by unauthorized users is called a sniffing attack.
What is Sniffing?
Sniffing is defined as the process where cyber attackers target a system and steal information by monitoring it. It is similar to unlawfully listening to a conversation of two people in a private place so it is called sniffing. Phone tapping is also a sniffing technique by which a hacker can listen to the conversation of people talking on their phones.
Generally, sniffing is performed by hackers when they get access to any of the loopholes like an open port of a large network that has a lot of users. Hackers can easily connect to the network through that port and access to the information on the network. Sniffing is possible through ports, Wi-Fi networks, wired connections, etc. Sniffers are used as sniffing tools to hack a network but generally, they can be used for analyzing network protocols.
What Happens in Sniffing?
In sniffing, hackers capture or monitor the data packets which are transmitted from one system or network to another one if the data packets are not encrypted. Attackers get sensitive information by capturing data packets like user passwords, network information, account-related information, etc. If attackers get some critical information, the whole system can be at a security risk as they can monitor all sorts of things going on in a network.
Sniffing can be dangerous for the security of systems because hackers can monitor everything without getting noticed easily. As sniffing is a passive cyberattack where hackers do not directly interfere in the functions of a network, it is hard to find and fix it. These days, modern tools that are used to troubleshoot various technical problems can be used to perform sniffing easily, thereby, making it more common and dangerous.
What is the Purpose of Packet Sniffing?
Data packets consist of valuable information, which interests hackers. The main purpose of sniffing is to steal important information by capturing and decoding the data packets that flow through a network. Data packets carry essential information like TCPIP network information, user information, passwords, etc.
Security Risks of Sniffing?
Some security risks associated with sniffing include the following:
- The safety of the network is compromised.
- Data shared on the network is accessible to hackers.
- Hackers can easily get to know important details like user information, account details, network traffic information, and a lot more important data available on the network.
- Sniffing can be challenging as it is a passive form of cyberattack.
- Data stolen in the sniffing process can be used to plan more serious attacks on the network by hackers.
- Hackers can steal information like web configuration, chat sessions, FTP passwords, etc.
- Hackers can steal financial data and (online) the identity of people through sniffing attacks.
How Sniffers Sniff?
A hacker or sniffer usually makes the network interface cards (NIC) run in a promiscuous mode wherein all the traffic on the network is directed to the NIC even if the traffic is addressed to a different MAC address so that the hacker gets all the network information. Usually, the NIC ignores the traffic if it is not addressed to it in the non-promiscuous mode so it is difficult for hackers to hack it in this mode so they do it in the promiscuous mode. Therefore, hackers monitor the network by capturing the data packets and decoding the information carried within them.
Types of Sniffing Attacks
There are two types of sniffing attacks:
Active sniffing: Hackers use a switch of the network in this attack. A switch regulates all the traffic by directing the data from the source to the destination using certain (MAC) addresses. Attackers sniff into the network through a switch in active sniffing attacks. As this attack involves a switch, attackers can only use it on switch-based networks. They do it by manipulating the content addressable memory (CAM) of the switch which has the data of the connection among various ports.
Active sniffing is more dangerous than passive sniffing as it not only involves monitoring the network but also it allows hackers to intervene in the functions of the network which will influence the normal functions of the network. Some network protocols like HTTP, TELNET, FTP, POP, SNMP, etc are vulnerable to these types of attacks.
Passive sniffing: This type of sniffing involves a hub in a network. In a non-switch network (hub-based network), any data shared on a (LAN) network is delivered to every port of the network so it is easy for hackers to get the entire information of the network just by sniffing a part of the network. This type of sniffing does not involve interfering with the network because attackers are only interested in capturing data packets to get information so it is named passive sniffing. It can be done only in a hub-based network where all the systems are connected to the hub.
Sniffing Tools
Hackers use many sniffing tools to carry out sniffing secretly. Some of them are listed below.
- Wireshark
- dSniff
- Debookee
Prevention
Sniffing can be avoided if we practice some precautions
- To secure the transfer of information using the HTTP protocol, the HTTPS protocol which is its secured version can be used to avoid sniffing.
- Avoid connecting to free Wi-Fi networks to prevent sniffing.
- Encryption of data that is to be transferred online can avoid sniffing.
- Network monitoring & scanning by trained professionals are needed to figure out possible sniffing incidents which go unnoticed otherwise.
- Using trusted sources (websites or networks) while connecting online.
Wrapping Up
Sniffing attacks are a danger to data confidentiality and security and should be of prime concern. Attackers sniff to get sensitive information and mainly target people who use unencrypted communication channels. Nowadays, it is hard to detect sniffing attacks as attackers are using sophisticated sniffing tools, which makes sniffing detection very difficult. As unencrypted communications are unsafe, using security protocols like HTTPs for encryption is the key to ensuring data confidentiality and security.
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