Packet injection is a network attack which involves the interference of a network by forging data packets to make them look like they were part of the communication stream and inserting them into the network connection. Packet injection tools are third party tools used by hackers to intercept or disrupt data packets being sent to a server or client, replacing them with the forged packets and causing the network quality to degrade. This degradation may lead to blocking of users from accessing the network resources. In Ottawa, network support for customers can be enhanced by companies if they are aware of these tools. Packet injectors are used as a means of performing two major attacks, denial of service and man-in-the-middle attacks.
Packet Injectors Procedures
Packet injecting tools can create arbitrary data packets by utilizing various resources such as NDIS function calls and raw sockets. Packet injection tools utilize packet protocols such as ICMP, TCP, UDP, among others to gain full packet header control during the packet assembly.
The procedure involves the creation of a few network elements such as a raw socket, an Ethernet header, an IP header, a TCP header, and a UDP header in the memory. Once these have been created, the tool inserts the forged data into the memory and concatenates the data and the various headers together. A successful assembly of the headers and data results in an injection packet. The injection tool then computes correct checksums for IP, TCP and UDP packets and sends the package to the raw socket.
Packet Injection Uses
Packet injectors are used by hackers for many malicious purposes. They can disrupt core services from access points and internet service providers, including file sharing and HTTP. Packet injectors are also utilized by gamers online to locate and exploit vulnerabilities and to manipulate the functionalities of the game. They are also used to compromise wireless access points so that hackers can get through the security measures put in place.
Packet injectors are not all bad, however. IT companies in Ottawa can enhance the quality of client network security by utilizing packet injectors for troubleshooting purposes in a client’s network. Packet injectors can be used to effectively test network firewalls and other security systems such as intrusion detection systems. They are also used in auditing these systems so that vulnerabilities are identified and corrected before the systems are used. IT companies should consider helping custom packet designers by testing their newly designed packets. This is made possible through packet injectors. The newly designed packet is simply inserted into a network to determine how it will function or respond.