Researchers from Northeastern University and KU Leuven have uncovered a critical vulnerability in the WiFi protocol standard that leaves Linux, FreeBSD, Android, and iOS devices open to cyberattacks.
With the potential to hijack TCP connections and intercept sensitive web traffic, this flaw poses a severe threat to unsuspecting users. The team has published a paper outlining their findings, urging immediate action to address this serious security breach.
Power-save mechanisms to leak data frames and execute DoS attacks
“The unprotected nature of the power-save bit in a frame’s header […] also allows an adversary to force queue frames intended for a specific client resulting in its disconnection and trivially executing a denial-of-service attack,” the researchers said.
In a novel approach, researchers have found a way to take advantage of power-save mechanisms in WiFi endpoint devices to extract data frames in plaintext or encrypted them using an all-zero key.
Most WiFi stacks do not adequately dequeue or purge their transmit queues when the security context changes, making them vulnerable to this attack.
Hotspot hijacking: Attackers can bypass WiFi security
An attacker can exploit a flaw in WiFi security by overriding a client’s security context used by an access point to receive packets intended for the victim.
This technique is particularly effective when the victim is connected to a hotspot-like network, allowing the attacker to intercept and read sensitive information. The attack can be launched even if the victim uses encryption, making it a severe threat to WiFi security.
“The core idea behind the attack is that how clients are authenticated is unrelated to how packets are routed to the correct WiFi client,” Vanhoef said.
“A malicious insider can abuse this to intercept data towards a WiFi client by disconnecting a victim and then connecting under the MAC address of the victim (using the credentials of the adversary). Any packets that were still underway to the victim, such website data that the victim was still loading, will now be received by the adversary instead.”
Cisco warns of potential vulnerabilities, urges security measures
According to a recent advisory by Cisco, the newly discovered vulnerabilities may only result in an “opportunistic attack” with minimal value in a securely configured network. However, the company admits that the attacks outlined in the study could potentially exploit Cisco Wireless Access Point and Cisco Meraki products with wireless capabilities.
To mitigate the risk of such attacks, Cisco recommends implementing transport layer security (TLS) to encrypt data in transit and enforcing strict policy mechanisms to restrict network access.
WiFi flaws expose privacy risks: Location-spoofing and movement-tracking attacks
Researchers have uncovered yet another WiFi vulnerability that exploits the 802.11 protocol’s power-saving mechanism to reveal the location of target devices. The finding comes several months after Ali Abedi and Deepak Vasisht demonstrated a similar Wi-Peep attack that can expose location information.
In addition to these concerns, recent studies have revealed how attackers can use WiFi signals to launch location spoofing attacks and map human movement in a room, posing significant privacy risks.
Conclusion
The recent WiFi vulnerabilities uncovered by researchers highlight the ongoing need for enhanced security measures to protect against privacy breaches. The exploits leverage power-saving mechanisms in the 802.11 protocol to reveal location information, intercept packets, and launch denial-of-service attacks, making them a serious threat to wireless networks.
To reduce the risk of such attacks, it’s essential to implement strict security policies, such as enforcing transport layer security and limiting network access. As WiFi technology evolves, it’s crucial to remain vigilant and stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities to maintain a secure wireless environment.
PureVPN
March 31, 2023
1 year ago
