What term describes intercepting data across the network transport layer to take control of a session?

What term describes intercepting data across the network transport layer to take control of a session?

• A. Network Level Hijacking
• B. Application Level Hijacking
• C. Spoofing Attack
• D. Session Fixation Attack

Answer: (A)

Intercepting data at the transport layer to take over an active connection is called network level hijacking. This happens when an attacker sits on the network path (a man‑in‑the‑middle or through techniques like ARP poisoning) and can observe, spoof, or inject TCP packets. Because the transport layer manages the session state—sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and ongoing data flow—gaining access here lets the attacker seize control of the session itself. This differs from application‑level hijacking, which targets the software running on the host after the data reaches the application, often by stealing tokens or manipulating session data within the app. Spoofing is broader impersonation, not necessarily about hijacking an ongoing session. Session fixation involves forcing a user to adopt a known session identifier before authentication, rather than taking over an existing session by intercepting transport data.

Intercepting data at the transport layer to take over an active connection is called network level hijacking. This happens when an attacker sits on the network path (a man‑in‑the‑middle or through techniques like ARP poisoning) and can observe, spoof, or inject TCP packets. Because the transport layer manages the session state—sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and ongoing data flow—gaining access here lets the attacker seize control of the session itself.

This differs from application‑level hijacking, which targets the software running on the host after the data reaches the application, often by stealing tokens or manipulating session data within the app. Spoofing is broader impersonation, not necessarily about hijacking an ongoing session. Session fixation involves forcing a user to adopt a known session identifier before authentication, rather than taking over an existing session by intercepting transport data.