DHCP "Starvation" Attack

A.

The DHCP "starvation" attack is a type of attack that targets the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP is used to dynamically assign IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network. In a "starvation" attack, an attacker attempts to exhaust the pool of available IP addresses on the DHCP server, leaving no addresses available for legitimate devices.

The answer to the question is A: Exhaust the address space available on the DHCP servers so that an attacker can inject their own DHCP server for malicious reasons.

In more detail, this attack works by flooding the DHCP server with a large number of DHCP requests using spoofed MAC addresses. The DHCP server, believing that each request is coming from a legitimate device, will attempt to assign an IP address to each request. However, since the requests are spoofed, the DHCP server cannot actually assign an IP address to the devices. As a result, the DHCP server's pool of available IP addresses is quickly exhausted.

Once the pool of available IP addresses is exhausted, the attacker can inject their own DHCP server onto the network. The attacker's DHCP server can then assign IP addresses to devices on the network, allowing the attacker to intercept and manipulate network traffic. This can be used for malicious purposes, such as eavesdropping on network traffic, stealing data, or launching further attacks on other devices on the network.

It is important to note that DHCP "starvation" attacks can be mitigated by implementing proper DHCP server configuration and monitoring tools. This includes setting limits on the number of DHCP requests that can be made from a single MAC address, implementing rate limiting to prevent floods of requests, and monitoring network traffic for signs of DHCP starvation attacks.