Security Basics mailing list archives
Re: packet sniffing help needed.
From: Dale Fay <dalef () merit edu>
Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:28:25 -0500
I know its all a bit Hollywood, but i am really curious to see what information i am transmitting (non https) - and what those warnings really mean, are they of the McDonald$ coffee "caution contents is hot" type thing? which i have to say is how i view them. I understand how proxies cache and transmit data - are the warnings just about them?
The warnings are about the possibility of a sniffer sharing the same network path as the traffic. Ethernet and wireless are the most common networks that can be exploited because they work by broadcast. Most ethernet switches now isolate traffic so that sniffing is more difficult. If you want to sniff the traffic from your own box you will need to put it on a wireless or ethernet LAN or install software to capture packets from the network interface. For someone to steal information transmitted by your web browser, they would have to have control of a sniffing machine on the network between you and the website. The more likely scenario is for them to install something on your machine to capture key strokes. Dale
Current thread:
- packet sniffing help needed. Mark Knowles (Dec 06)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. Dale Fay (Dec 07)
- RE: packet sniffing help needed. David Gillett (Dec 07)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. dallas jordan (Dec 07)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. Rodrigo Blanco (Dec 09)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. Mark Knowles (Dec 09)
- <Possible follow-ups>
- RE: packet sniffing help needed. Beauford, Jason (Dec 07)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. yaoki (Dec 07)
- Re: packet sniffing help needed. ilaiy (Dec 07)