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BGP prefix hijack → traffic interception

From a compliant origin AS, announce a more-specific or origin-spoofed prefix belonging to the victim. Internet routing converges on the attacker AS; traffic for that prefix flows through attacker for inspection / DoS.

Filed by AD Knowledge Base
§ Kill-chainDrag · zoom · scroll

§ Context

Assumed environment: attacker controls (legitimately or via compromise) a BGP-speaking AS that peers with major transit. RPKI ROAs not enforced by most peers — common for many regional ISPs.

§ Steps

  1. 01
    Control / compromise an ASResource Development
    T1583Acquire Infrastructure
  2. 02
    Intercept / decrypt / DoS the trafficCredential Access
    T1557Adversary-in-the-Middle
  3. 03
    Force certificate issuance via captured ACME validationCredential Access
    T1556Modify Authentication Process
  4. 04
    Internet routes converge to attacker ASCredential Access
    T1040Network Sniffing
  5. 05
    Announce more-specific victim prefixLateral Movement
    NET-BGP-HIJACKBGP Route Hijack

§ References

§ Frequently asked

What is the "BGP prefix hijack → traffic interception" attack path?
From a compliant origin AS, announce a more-specific or origin-spoofed prefix belonging to the victim. Internet routing converges on the attacker AS; traffic for that prefix flows through attacker for inspection / DoS. It chains 5 steps drawn from real-world offensive-security techniques.
What starting position does this attack require?
The first step is Control / compromise an AS (T1583) — a resource development primitive. Assumed environment: attacker controls (legitimately or via compromise) a BGP-speaking AS that peers with major transit.
What is the final impact of this kill-chain?
The final step lands on Announce more-specific victim prefix (NET-BGP-HIJACK), which falls under Lateral Movement. From here, an operator typically pivots into post-exploitation or maintains persistence.
How can defenders detect or prevent this attack?
Detection and prevention vary per step. Refer to each linked MITRE ATT&CK entry under "References" — every technique on that page lists defensive controls, detection telemetry, and known threat-actor usage.

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