What does DNS poisoning affect in a network?

DNS poisoning affects the resolution of domain names to IP addresses. This type of attack manipulates the DNS cache, allowing malicious actors to redirect traffic from a legitimate domain to a malicious IP address. When a user's device attempts to visit a website, instead of connecting to the correct server identified by its true IP address, it may connect to a fraudulent site that appears legitimate due to the altered DNS records. This can lead to various security risks, including phishing attacks and the distribution of malware.

The other options relate to different aspects of network functionality that are not directly impacted by DNS poisoning. Local network configurations refer to settings and configurations that dictate how devices communicate within a local network, security firewalls are designed to protect a network by controlling traffic based on predetermined security rules, and server hardware refers to the physical components of servers that host data and services. While these components are crucial to overall network operations, they are not specifically affected by the DNS resolution process altered through DNS poisoning.