RoutenManipulation

RoutenManipulation, also known as route manipulation or route hijacking, refers to the unauthorized alteration of network routing information to redirect traffic intended for a specific destination to a different, often malicious, destination. This manipulation can occur at various levels of the network infrastructure, including within Internet Service Providers (ISPs), autonomous systems, or even within individual networks.

The primary goal of RoutenManipulation is typically to intercept, monitor, or disrupt network traffic. This can be achieved through various methods, such as injecting false routing information into routing protocols like Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is responsible for routing traffic between autonomous systems on the internet. By manipulating BGP announcements, an attacker can convince other networks to send traffic to an unintended destination.

RoutenManipulation can have severe consequences, including data theft, service disruption, and compromise of network security. For instance, it can be used to launch man-in-the-middle attacks, where the attacker intercepts and potentially alters communications between two parties without their knowledge. It can also be used to perform denial-of-service (DoS) attacks by redirecting traffic to non-existent or overloaded networks.

To mitigate the risks associated with RoutenManipulation, network operators employ various security measures. These include implementing route filtering and validation mechanisms, using secure routing protocols, and participating in mutual agreement frameworks like the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to ensure the authenticity of routing information. Regular monitoring and analysis of routing data can also help in detecting and responding to manipulation attempts promptly.