An on-path attack (formerly known as a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack) involves intercepting and potentially altering communications between two parties without their knowledge. This can be done via techniques like ARP poisoning, rogue access points, or SSL stripping.
Breakdown of Options:
A: Self-signed certificate - These are untrusted SSL certificates but do not intercept traffic.
B: VLAN hopping - VLAN hopping exploits VLAN misconfigurations but does not necessarily intercept communications.
C: On-path attack - Correct answer. This intercepts and modifies traffic between two endpoints.
D: Phishing - Phishing tricks users into revealing credentials rather than intercepting network traffic.
Reference:
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Official Study Guide - Domain 3.2: Explain common security concepts.
NIST SP 800-115: Guide to Security Testing and Assessments