SSL stripping attacks remain a significant threat, even in an era of widespread HTTPS adoption. This article dissects a real-world attack, showing how an attacker can downgrade a secure HTTPS connection to an unencrypted HTTP one, intercepting sensitive data. It highlights the critical role of HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) and common pitfalls like missing HSTS headers or improper implementation. The case study walks through the attack flow, from initial interception to data exfiltration, and provides actionable recommendations for developers, including proper HSTS configuration, certificate pinning, and user education. Understanding these vulnerabilities is essential for building secure web applications and protecting user data from man-in-the-middle attacks.
A case study of a real SSL stripping attack, explaining how HTTPS can be bypassed and how to defend against it.