Description
Adversaries may poison Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) caches to position themselves between the communication of two or more networked devices. This activity may be used to enable follow-on behaviors such as Network Sniffing or Transmitted Data Manipulation.
The ARP protocol is used to resolve IPv4 addresses to link layer addresses, such as a media access control (MAC) address.(Citation: RFC826 ARP) Devices in a local network segment communicate with each other by using link layer addresses. If a networked device does not have the link layer address of a particular networked device, it may send out a broadcast ARP request to the local network to translate the IP address to a MAC address. The device with the associated IP address directly replies with its MAC address. The networked device that made the ARP request will then use as well as store that information in its ARP cache.
An adversary may passively wait for an ARP request to poison the ARP cache of the requesting device. The adversary may reply with their MAC address, thus deceiving the victim by making them believe that they are communicating with the intended networked device. For the adversary to poison the ARP cache, their reply must be faster than the one made by the legitimate IP address owner. Adversaries may also send a gratuitous ARP reply that maliciously announces the ownership of a particular IP address to all the devices in the local network segment.
The ARP protocol is stateless and does not require authentication. Therefore, devices may wrongly add or update the MAC address of the IP address in their ARP cache.(Citation: Sans ARP Spoofing Aug 2003)(Citation: Cylance Cleaver)
Adversaries may use ARP cache poisoning as a means to intercept network traffic. This activity may be used to collect and/or relay data such as credentials, especially those sent over an insecure, unencrypted protocol.(Citation: Sans ARP Spoofing Aug 2003)
Platforms
Mitigations (6)
Encrypt Sensitive InformationM1041
Ensure that all wired and/or wireless traffic is encrypted appropriately. Use best practices for authentication protocols, such as Kerberos, and ensure web traffic that may contain credentials is protected by SSL/TLS.
Network Intrusion PreventionM1031
Network intrusion detection and prevention systems that can identify traffic patterns indicative of AiTM activity can be used to mitigate activity at the network level.
User TrainingM1017
Train users to be suspicious about certificate errors. Adversaries may use their own certificates in an attempt to intercept HTTPS traffic. Certificate errors may arise when the application’s certificate does not match the one expected by the host.
Disable or Remove Feature or ProgramM1042
Consider disabling updating the ARP cache on gratuitous ARP replies.
Limit Access to Resource Over NetworkM1035
Create static ARP entries for networked devices. Implementing static ARP entries may be infeasible for large networks.
Filter Network TrafficM1037
Consider enabling DHCP Snooping and Dynamic ARP Inspection on switches to create mappings between IP addresses requested via DHCP and ARP tables and tie the values to a port on the switch that may block bogus traffic.(Citation: Cisco ARP Poisoning Mitigation 2016)(Citation: Juniper DAI 2020)
Threat Groups (2)
| ID | Group | Context |
|---|---|---|
| G0003 | Cleaver | [Cleaver](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G0003) has used custom tools to facilitate ARP cache poisoning.(Citation: Cylance Cleaver) |
| G1014 | LuminousMoth | [LuminousMoth](https://attack.mitre.org/groups/G1014) has used ARP spoofing to redirect a compromised machine to an actor-controlled website.(Citation... |
Related CWE Weaknesses
References
- Cylance. (2014, December). Operation Cleaver. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- Plummer, D. (1982, November). An Ethernet Address Resolution Protocol. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
- Siles, R. (2003, August). Real World ARP Spoofing. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is T1557.002 (ARP Cache Poisoning)?
T1557.002 is a MITRE ATT&CK technique named 'ARP Cache Poisoning'. It belongs to the Credential Access, Collection tactic(s). Adversaries may poison Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) caches to position themselves between the communication of two or more networked devices. This activity may be used to enable follow-on behavio...
How can T1557.002 be detected?
Detection of T1557.002 (ARP Cache Poisoning) typically involves monitoring system logs, network traffic, and endpoint telemetry. Use SIEM rules, EDR solutions, and behavioral analytics to identify suspicious activity associated with this technique.
What mitigations exist for T1557.002?
There are 6 documented mitigations for T1557.002. Key mitigations include: Encrypt Sensitive Information, Network Intrusion Prevention, User Training, Disable or Remove Feature or Program, Limit Access to Resource Over Network.
Which threat groups use T1557.002?
Known threat groups using T1557.002 include: Cleaver, LuminousMoth.