What is the difference between eavesdropping and on-path attacks?

Eavesdropping refers to the act of silently intercepting and listening to communications without the knowledge of the parties involved. It allows an attacker to gather information without altering any data being transmitted. This is purely a passive form of attack where the attacker gains access to the data being communicated but does not interfere with the communication flow itself.

On the other hand, an on-path attack, also known as a man-in-the-middle attack, involves actively intercepting, manipulating, or injecting data into the communication between two parties. In this scenario, the attacker can not only access the data being transferred but also change it or insert new data, effectively altering the communication.

Thus, the correct distinction highlights that eavesdropping involves just 'listening to' communications, while on-path attacks involve 'injecting into' those communications, as they can modify or add to the data being exchanged. Understanding this difference is crucial for identifying and implementing the appropriate security controls to protect against these types of attacks.