Client-Server Protocol Manipulation
Attack Pattern ID: 220 (Standard Attack Pattern Completeness: Stub)Typical Severity: MediumStatus: Draft
+ Description

Summary

An attacker takes advantage of weaknesses in the protocol by which a client and server are communicating to perform unexpected actions. Communication protocols are necessary to transfer messages between client and server applications. Moreover, different protocols may be used for different types of interactions. For example, an authentication protocol might be used to establish the identities of the server and client while a separate messaging protocol might be used to exchange data. If there is a weakness in a protocol used by the client and server, an attacker might take advantage of this to perform various types of attacks. For example, if the attacker is able to manipulate an authentication protocol, the attacker may be able spoof other clients or servers. If the attacker is able to manipulate a messaging protocol, the may be able to read sensitive information or modify message contents. This attack is often made easier by the fact that many clients and servers support multiple protocols to perform similar roles. For example, a server might support several different authentication protocols in order to support a wide range of clients, including legacy clients. Some of the older protocols may have vulnerabilities that allow an attacker to manipulate client-server interactions.

+ Attack Prerequisites

The client and/or server must utilize a protocol that has a weakness allowing attacker manipulation of the interaction.

+ Resources Required

The attacker must be able to identify the weakness in the utilized protocol and exploit it. This may require a sniffing tool as well as packet creation abilities. The attacker will be aided if they can force the client and/or server to utilize a specific protocol known to contain exploitable weaknesses.

+ Related Weaknesses
CWE-IDWeakness NameWeakness Relationship Type
757Selection of Less-Secure Algorithm During Negotiation ('Algorithm Downgrade')Secondary
+ Related Attack Patterns
NatureTypeIDNameDescriptionView(s) this relationship pertains toView\(s\)
ChildOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern22Exploiting Trust in Client (aka Make the Client Invisible) 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ChildOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern151Identity Spoofing (Impersonation) 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ChildOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern272Protocol Manipulation 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern32Embedding Scripts in HTTP Query Strings 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern33HTTP Request Smuggling 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern34HTTP Response Splitting 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern86Embedding Script (XSS ) in HTTP Headers 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern90Reflection Attack in Authentication Protocol 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern105HTTP Request Splitting 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern273HTTP Response Smuggling 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000
ParentOfAttack PatternAttack Pattern274HTTP Verb Tampering 
Mechanism of Attack (primary)1000