``70% of wireless LAN routers can be infiltrated'' Researcher reveals ``surprising trick'': attack without cost - TechTarget Japan Security

　CyberArk researcher Aido Houbich said, "The wireless LAN routers affected by this attack are manufactured by major vendors around the world and are used by homes and businesses around the world." . A laptop and a $50 wireless LAN signal amplifier are all you need for an attack, according to Hubich.

　In this attack, the attacker uses a signal amplifier to execute a script that exploits the vulnerability of the "RSN IE" (Robust Security Network Information Element). RSN IE is a data group that summarizes security settings such as authentication methods used in wireless LAN. This allows attackers to break into wireless LANs without intercepting communications.

　The research team also used tools such as a packet capture tool and a dedicated hardware driver to enable monitoring mode on the signal amplifier. "All the tools you need for an attack fit in a backpack," Hubich said.

Mr. Hubich went out with a set of attack tools, walked around Tel Aviv all day long, and collected about 5,000 hashed (replaced with random character strings) wireless LAN passwords. Decryption of these hashed passwords was easy, he said, because in Israel, wireless router owners tend to use mobile phone numbers as passwords.

　Using the password analysis tool "Hashcat", Mr. Hubich decrypted 3559 passwords out of about 5000 collected hashed passwords.

However, this attack method has a very serious weakness. The attack only worked if the target router had "roaming" enabled (a feature that allows devices to automatically switch between networks). Not all wireless routers have roaming capabilities, and wireless routers without roaming capabilities are not vulnerable to this attack. Still, "our research reveals vulnerabilities in wireless routers made by a variety of major manufacturers around the world," Hubich stressed.

　Best practices for wireless LAN router owners to protect their wireless LAN include the following.

"Both end users and IT administrators need to be aware that wireless LANs can be breached much more easily than previously thought," recommends Mr. Hubich. He predicted that wireless LAN sniffing and cracking would be "quite easy in terms of equipment, cost, and difficulty of implementation," and it's been proven. "This means that if you don't set up a strong password for your wifi, it only takes a few hours and about $50 for a third party to compromise your privacy and more." )

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