As multi-factor authentication (MFA) becomes more common, attackers are increasingly resorting to session hijacking. Evidence from 2023 shows this trend: Microsoft detected 147,000 token replay attacks, marking a 111% increase year-over-year. Google reports that attacks on session cookies now rival traditional password-based threats.
Session hijacking has evolved from old Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, which relied on intercepting unsecured network traffic. Today, these attacks are internet-based, focusing on cloud apps and services. Modern session hijacking involves stealing session materials like cookies and tokens, enabling attackers to bypass standard security controls like VPNs, encrypted traffic, and even MFA.
The rise of identity-based attacks is a result of the growing complexity of user accounts, with each person managing multiple cloud-based services. Once attackers gain access to an active session, they can bypass MFA, leveraging the valid session tokens, which often stay active longer than expected.
Modern phishing toolkits, like AitM and BitM, make hijacking easier by allowing attackers to intercept MFA processes or trick users into controlling their browser. Infostealers, a newer tool, capture session cookies from the victim’s browser, putting multiple applications at risk, especially when EDR systems fail to detect them.
This article has been indexed from CySecurity News – Latest Information Security and Hacking Incidents
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