In October of 2017, new Wi-Fi hack was discovered that exploited a weakness in t

Question

In October of 2017, new Wi-Fi hack was discovered that exploited a weakness in the WPA2 encryption technique used by most routers and wireless adapters. This weakness affected the Windows, IOS and Android operating systems.

• First, you need to explain in detail how what is called Knack security flaw successfully hacked the WPA2 encryption. Please use at least three citations so that we thoroughly understand why this technique has been so successfully implemented.

• Describe in detail, how different types of devices have been affected by this WPA2 hack and what can be done to prevent it in the future.

• Next, provide a solution for both individuals and businesses that will prevent this type of hack from occurring either at home or within the business environment.

Explanation / Answer

(a) Krack (Key Reinstallation AttaCK) security flaw that interferes with the four-way handshake performed for authentication. It specifically targets the third step of this handshake when a device (WiFi enabled) like a cell phone tries to connect with a WAP2 secured WiFi network. The encryption key can be resent multiple times during step three, and if attackers collect and replay those retransmissions in particular ways, Wi-Fi security encryption can be broken.

Citation (as asked in the question): www.krackattacks.com, www.wired.com/story/krack-wi-fi-wpa2-vulnerability.

(b) Any device that uses WiFi to connect to a network is at risk, be it phones, routers or laptops. The data that is trasferred between them is exposed to attackers. An attacker can eavesdrop on all traffic you send over the network. This can be abused to steal sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, chat messages, emails, photos etc. The consequences of exploiting these vulnerabilities and threats include decryption, packet replay, TCP connection hijacking and HTTP content injection. The devices must be kept updated to shield them from this attack.

(c) Business and home-owners should always keep their WiFi devices updated. Device manufacturers should release security patches in a backwards compatible manner. If you need to use a public Wi-Fi hotspot stick to websites that use HTTPS encryption. Business owners can switch to using VPN.

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