what's the difference between dns cache poisoning and spoofing

DNS spoofing
is the general term for faking DNS data, while DNS cache poisoning is a specific, common method of spoofing that injects malicious data into a DNS resolver's cache, making it serve fake IP addresses to many users until the cache expires, redirecting them to malicious sites like phishing pages. In short, poisoning is a form of spoofing, but spoofing can also happen via other methods, like Man-in-the-Middle attacks, that target the user's device directly.
DNS Spoofing (Broad Term)

Definition: Any attack that falsifies DNS information to redirect users.
Methods: Includes cache poisoning, but also Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks where an attacker intercepts traffic between the user and server, or compromising authoritative name servers.

DNS Cache Poisoning (Specific Method)

Definition: A type of spoofing that targets the DNS resolver's cache.
How it works: Attackers exploit vulnerabilities to inject fake IP addresses into a resolver's stored (cached) DNS records, tricking many users who query that resolver.
Impact: Redirects users to fake sites until the poisoned data's Time-To-Live (TTL) expires.

Analogy
Think of it like this: Spoofing is the general goal of delivering mail to the wrong address. Cache poisoning is one way to do that by bribing the local post office's directory (the cache) with fake addresses, while a MitM attack is like intercepting letters and rewriting the addresses on them