What is a potential vulnerability of host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS)?

What is a potential vulnerability of host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS)?

• A. They can be bypassed by network-based attacks.
• B. They are more expensive to implement.
• C. They only track physical devices.
• D. They require constant updates.

Answer: (A)

Host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) primarily monitor and analyze the internals of a computing system. One notable potential vulnerability of HIDS is that they can indeed be bypassed by network-based attacks. This is because HIDS are specifically designed to detect threats that occur within the host itself, such as unauthorized file changes or suspicious processes. Network-based attacks, on the other hand, may exploit vulnerabilities that do not directly interact with the host's internal monitoring capabilities, thereby going undetected. For instance, if an attacker is able to compromise a network device or exploit a vulnerability in the protocol being used, they may be able to communicate with the host or execute commands without tripping the alarms of the HIDS. This makes network vulnerabilities particularly challenging for HIDS, as the detection mechanisms may not be configured to monitor incoming traffic effectively, especially if that traffic does not follow patterns indicating an intrusion from the host's perspective. Therefore, this characteristic highlights a specific limitation of HIDS in protecting against a wide range of potential attack vectors.

Host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) primarily monitor and analyze the internals of a computing system. One notable potential vulnerability of HIDS is that they can indeed be bypassed by network-based attacks. This is because HIDS are specifically designed to detect threats that occur within the host itself, such as unauthorized file changes or suspicious processes. Network-based attacks, on the other hand, may exploit vulnerabilities that do not directly interact with the host's internal monitoring capabilities, thereby going undetected.

For instance, if an attacker is able to compromise a network device or exploit a vulnerability in the protocol being used, they may be able to communicate with the host or execute commands without tripping the alarms of the HIDS. This makes network vulnerabilities particularly challenging for HIDS, as the detection mechanisms may not be configured to monitor incoming traffic effectively, especially if that traffic does not follow patterns indicating an intrusion from the host's perspective. Therefore, this characteristic highlights a specific limitation of HIDS in protecting against a wide range of potential attack vectors.