Log Poisoning Attack
A Log Poisoning Attack, in simple terms, is a technique used by hackers to manipulate log data in order to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Logs are records of events and actions that occur within a system, and are used by administrators to monitor and troubleshoot that system. A Log Poisoning Attack involves the attacker inserting false or misleading information into these logs in order to cover their tracks, mask their activities or change the sequence of events.
For example, a hacker could inject fake login attempts into the log data of a company’s web server to make it appear as though they have attempted to log in multiple times, which could trigger a security team to investigate multiple “failed login attempts”. Meanwhile, the hacker has already successfully logged in and is quietly stealing confidential data.
This type of attack can be difficult to detect as it often involves manipulating data at the source, and requires knowledge of the likely patterns and events that are logged by a system.
To prevent Log Poisoning Attacks, it is important to regularly audit and verify log data, restrict access to log files and ensure that there are secure protocols in place to prevent unauthorized tampering.