Can any data exchanged on a local machine using the loopback IP 127.0.0.1 (localhost) be packet sniffed if the PC is also connected to a network (wireless or landline)?
Would like to know if the loopback, as a means of interprocess communication for locally running processes, can be regarded as a secure means of exchanging data (i.e., not privy to ease-dropping by anyone that resides externally on the network with a packet sniffer program).
This question is being asked in respect to all the pertinent OS platforms:
- Win2K/WinXP
- Vista
- Windows 7
- Mac OS X
- Linux
It should be safe from packet sniffing off the network because the traffic never goes on the wire (or airwaves).
A process on that local machine could sniff the packets tho.