What is the primary outcome of performing a MAC flooding attack on a switch?

The primary outcome of performing a MAC flooding attack on a switch is typically the disruption of communication within the network. In this type of attack, the attacker sends a large number of fake MAC addresses to the switch, filling its MAC address table, which maps MAC addresses to specific ports. When the table is full, the switch cannot learn new MAC addresses, causing it to behave like a hub. As a result, all broadcast traffic will be sent to all ports, leading to a significant increase in network traffic and a potential breakdown in normal communication between devices.

While unauthorized access to user data could occur as a secondary effect of a flooded network leading to sniffing of unencrypted traffic, the primary intent and outcome of the MAC flooding attack directly relate to network disruption and congestion, rather than the direct access to user data. Therefore, understanding that the main consequence is the disruption of communication helps clarify the intended impact of such an attack.