juniorWeb Security
What is a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack?
Updated May 6, 2026
Short answer
MITM is when an attacker intercepts communication between two parties.
Deep explanation
Attackers secretly relay or alter communication, often exploiting insecure networks or weak TLS validation.
Real-world example
Public WiFi stealing login credentials.
Common mistakes
- Using HTTP instead of HTTPS in apps.
Follow-up questions
- How does TLS prevent MITM?
- Can MITM happen on HTTPS?