Packet Sniffing

Packet sniffing on insecure networks in the context of penetration testing is a process where a penetration tester uses packet sniffing techniques to capture and analyze network traffic for security assessment and vulnerability identification purposes.

This is particularly relevant on insecure or unencrypted networks, where data packets can be intercepted more easily.

On insecure networks, unencrypted traffic (like HTTP Protocol) can be sniffed to find sensitive information (like passwords and session tokens) or to identify misconfigurations and vulnerable services.

Packet sniffing helps in understanding the network layout, identifying active hosts, and the types of services and protocols in use, which is crucial for further penetration testing steps.

Using tools like Wireshark or Tcpdump in promiscuous mode to capture all network traffic that reaches the network interface.