CAPEC-151: Identity Spoofing
Identity Spoofing refers to the action of assuming (i.e., taking on) the identity of some other entity (human or non-human) and then using that identity to accomplish a goal. An adversary may craft messages that appear to come from a different principle or use stolen / spoofed authentication credentials.
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Overview
Alternatively, an adversary may intercept a message from a legitimate sender and attempt to make it look like the message comes from them without changing its content. The latter form of this attack can be used to hijack credentials from legitimate users. Identity Spoofing attacks need not be limited to transmitted messages - any resource that is associated with an identity (for example, a file with a signature) can be the target of an attack where the adversary attempts to change the apparent identity. This attack differs from Content Spoofing attacks where the adversary does not wish to change the apparent identity of the message but instead wishes to change what the message says. In an Identity Spoofing attack, the adversary is attempting to change the identity of the content.
What the attacker needs
Prerequisites
- The identity associated with the message or resource must be removable or modifiable in an undetectable way.
Resources required
- None: No specialized resources are required to execute this type of attack.
Consequences
What a successful CAPEC-151 attack can achieve.
Gain Privileges
Affects: Confidentiality, Integrity, Authentication, Access Control
How to mitigate it
Defenses that reduce the risk of CAPEC-151.
- Employ robust authentication processes (e.g., multi-factor authentication).