What type of attack compromises Kernel-mode device drivers to intercept calls between components?

Driver manipulation involves the compromising of kernel-mode device drivers, which are critical components of the operating system that facilitate communication between hardware and software. By targeting these drivers, an attacker can intercept and manipulate the interactions between the operating system and hardware components. This type of attack allows the attacker to gain elevated privileges and control system behavior, leading to persistent threats or exploitation of system resources.

The reason this method is particularly dangerous is that kernel-mode drivers operate with high-level permissions, meaning they can significantly impact system security and stability. Manipulating drivers can enable an attacker to implant malicious code that can operate at a low level, avoiding detection by many security measures that operate at higher levels.

In contrast, the other options do not directly engage with kernel-mode operations. For instance, DLL injection involves the insertion of a malicious DLL into the address space of another process and does not specifically target device drivers. Man-in-the-Middle attacks focus on intercepting communications between two parties, typically in network scenarios, rather than interacting with kernel operations. Buffer overflow attacks exploit memory allocation errors in applications to gain unauthorized access but, like DLL injection, are not specifically related to driver manipulation.

Hence, driver manipulation is the correct identification of an attack that specifically compromises kernel-mode device drivers to gain