While performing surveillance activities, an attacker determines that an organization is using 802.1X to secure LAN access.
Which of the following attack mechanisms can the attacker utilize to bypass the identified network security?
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A. B. C. D.A.
802.1X is a protocol used to secure LAN access. It is an authentication mechanism that uses a central authentication server, a client (typically a device or computer), and a network access device (switch or wireless access point) to provide secure access to the network.
An attacker who wants to bypass the security provided by 802.1X may attempt to use various attack mechanisms. The most common ones are:
A. MAC Spoofing: This involves changing the MAC address of the attacker's device to that of an authorized device already authenticated by the 802.1X server. This allows the attacker to bypass the authentication process and gain access to the network. To prevent MAC spoofing attacks, network administrators can use port security techniques like MAC address filtering, which only allows authorized MAC addresses to access the network.
B. Pharming: This is a type of attack where an attacker redirects legitimate traffic to a fake website or network, where they can collect sensitive information or perform other malicious activities. Pharming can be done by modifying DNS settings, compromising a router or switch, or by using a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.
C. Xmas Attack: This is a type of attack that exploits a vulnerability in the TCP/IP protocol stack to cause a denial of service (DoS) attack. The attack sends packets with the "Xmas" flag set, which causes the target system to crash or become unresponsive.
D. ARP Poisoning: Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) poisoning involves an attacker sending fake ARP messages to the network to associate their MAC address with the IP address of a legitimate user. This allows the attacker to intercept traffic meant for the legitimate user and can also be used to launch other attacks like man-in-the-middle attacks.
Out of the given options, A. MAC Spoofing is the most likely attack mechanism that an attacker would use to bypass 802.1X security. By spoofing the MAC address of an authorized device, the attacker can bypass the authentication process and gain access to the network. The other options (B, C, and D) are not directly related to bypassing 802.1X security, although they can be used to launch other types of attacks on the network.