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BackWhat is ARP spoofing?
ARP spoofing is a local network attack in which an attacker sends falsified Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) messages to associate their MAC address with the IP address of a legitimate gateway or device.
Because ARP lacks built-in authentication, devices may accept spoofed ARP messages and update their ARP cache with incorrect IP-to-MAC mappings. Attackers can exploit this behavior to intercept, relay, modify, or disrupt local network traffic.
How Does an ARP spoofing Attack Execute?
To perform this attack, an adversary generally needs access to the same local network segment as the targeted devices, either through wired or wireless access.
A typical attack may involve the following steps:
The attacker identifies active devices on the local network, including the victim device and the default gateway or router.
The attacker sends spoofed ARP replies or forged ARP messages to manipulate local IP-to-MAC address mappings.
The targeted systems update their ARP cache with the attacker’s MAC address associated with another device’s IP address.
Traffic associated with the poisoned mapping may then pass through the attacker’s system, enabling interception, relay, modification, or denial-of-service activity.
Major Risks Associated with it
Once an attacker establishes a man-in-the-middle position on the local network, they may attempt several follow-on attacks.
Attackers may capture exposed unencrypted traffic, including plaintext credentials, insecure session data, or other sensitive communications.
If traffic protections are weak or misconfigured, attackers may attempt to modify responses, inject malicious content, or redirect users to fraudulent websites.
Attackers may drop or misroute affected packets, potentially disrupting access to local or internet-connected resources.
Contrasting ARP spoofing with DNS Spoofing
Although both attacks manipulate network communication, they target different protocols and infrastructure components.
| Defensive Consideration | ARP spoofing | DNS Spoofing |
| Network Scope | Operates within a local broadcast domain | Can affect systems using poisoned DNS responses |
| Target Mechanism | Manipulates IP-to-MAC address mappings | Manipulates domain-to-IP address resolution |
| Protocol Layer | Primarily affects Layer 2 address resolution | Targets DNS at the application layer |
| Primary Goal | Intercepting or disrupting local traffic | Redirecting users or applications to attacker-controlled destinations |
Tactical Defenses
Organizations commonly reduce this risk using Layer 2 protections, network segmentation, encryption, monitoring, and endpoint security controls.
- Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI)
- Static ARP Entries
- Encrypted Network Protocols
- Layer 2 Security Controls
Addressing ARP spoofing Vulnerabilities via Hexnode
Hexnode UEM supports device compliance policies, restrictions, app management, VPN configuration, and supported Conditional Access integrations across managed devices.
Organizations can use Hexnode to configure VPN settings, manage endpoint policies, apply restrictions, and support broader endpoint management strategies.
FAQs
Yes. Public or shared Wi-Fi networks can increase exposure to ARP spoofing because attackers connected to the same local network segment may attempt to manipulate ARP traffic.
No. HTTPS does not prevent ARP spoofing itself, but properly configured encryption helps protect the contents of intercepted traffic.
Traditional antivirus software is not a primary defense against ARP spoofing because the attack abuses local network protocol behavior rather than relying solely on malware execution.
The terms are commonly used interchangeably. Both describe attacks that manipulate ARP cache mappings to redirect or intercept local network traffic.