What kind of attack exploits the capture and retransmission of communications?

A replay attack involves capturing and then retransmitting valid data transmissions to deceive a system or an individual. This type of attack exploits the fact that communications may not have sufficient safeguards to verify the authenticity or the time context of the data being received.

In a replay attack, the attacker intercepts legitimate messages or data packets and later sends them again. This can trick the receiving system into thinking that it is dealing with a legitimate request, resulting in unauthorized access or actions being executed. For instance, if an attacker captures a payment request, they could replay that request to initiate another transaction without user consent.

This method is particularly effective in situations where a sequence or timestamp is not checked, allowing the attacker to manipulate the situation without needing to decode any sensitive information. The key element here is the simple act of capturing the data and sending it again, which is precisely what differentiates replay attacks from other types of cyber attacks.