WBJECA 2025 — Computer PYQ
WBJECA | Computer | 2025Which attack involves intercepting and altering communication between two parties without their knowledge?
Choose the correct answer:
- A.
Phishing
- B.
Man-in-the-Middle Attack
(Correct Answer) - C.
Denial of Service (DoS)
- D.
Spoofing
Man-in-the-Middle Attack
Explanation
A Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack occurs when an attacker secretly positions themselves between two communicating parties (such as a user and a web server) to intercept, eavesdrop on, or alter the data being exchanged. Because the parties believe they are talking directly to each other, they remain unaware that their communication is being compromised.
In terms of communication flow, if we represent the legitimate connection between party A and party B as A↔B, an MitM attack introduces an attacker M such that the flow becomes:
A↔M↔B
In this scenario, the attacker M intercepts the message m sent by A, potentially alters it to m′, and forwards it to B:
m′=f(m)
Where f represents the transformation or alteration applied by the attacker. By doing this, the attacker can steal sensitive information (like credentials) or inject malicious data without either original party realizing the breach.
Phishing: Tricking users into revealing sensitive information via fraudulent communications.
Denial of Service (DoS): Overwhelming a system to make it unavailable to legitimate users.
Spoofing: Impersonating a trusted entity to gain unauthorized access.