What characterizes a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack?

A Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack is characterized by the interception and modification of messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other. In this type of attack, the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communications between the two parties, making the attack particularly insidious because neither party is aware of the third party's presence. This can allow the attacker to eavesdrop on the conversation, steal sensitive information, or deliver false information to manipulate the interaction.

The essence of a MITM attack lies in its ability to deceive both the sender and receiver, leading them to believe they are communicating securely. This differs fundamentally from other types of attacks, such as network flooding, which aims to disrupt service rather than intercept communication, or exploiting vulnerabilities, which focuses on breaking into systems rather than manipulating ongoing communication.