Final answer:
ARP spoofing is the attack that tricks a client into mapping an IP address to a spoofed MAC address. This attack involves sending forged ARP messages to a network device to associate the attacker's MAC address with a legitimate IP address. It can be used for various malicious purposes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The attack that tricks a client into mapping an IP address to a spoofed MAC address is ARP spoofing. In an ARP spoofing attack, the attacker sends forged ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) messages to a network device, tricking it into associating the attacker's MAC address with a legitimate IP address. This allows the attacker to intercept and manipulate network traffic intended for the target device.
For example, imagine a scenario where an attacker wants to intercept the network traffic of a target device (e.g., a computer) in a local network. By exploiting the vulnerability of ARP, the attacker can send fake ARP messages to the target device, falsely claiming to be the router. The target device will update its ARP cache, mapping the attacker's MAC address to the router's IP address. As a result, all traffic intended for the router will be sent to the attacker instead.
ARP spoofing can enable various malicious activities, such as eavesdropping on network communications, conducting man-in-the-middle attacks, or redirecting traffic to a different destination. It is important for network administrators to implement security measures and monitor ARP traffic to detect and prevent ARP spoofing attacks.