ZyXEL Communications 2602HWNLI-D7A manual What are Insertion Attacks?, What is Wireless Sniffer?

Prestige 2602HWNLI-D7A Support Notes

WEP is turned on. The SSID goes over the air in clear text. This makes obtaining the SSID easy by sniffing 802.11 wireless traffic.

By turning off the broadcast of SSID, can someone still sniff the SSID ?

Many APs by default have broadcasting the SSID turned on. Sniffers typically will find the SSID in the broadcast beacon packets. Turning off the broadcast of SSID in the beacon message (a common practice) does not prevent getting the SSID; since the SSID is sent in the clear in the probe message when a client associates to an AP, a sniffer just has to wait for a valid user to associate to the network to see the SSID.

What are Insertion Attacks?

The insertion attacks are based on placing unauthorized devices on the wireless network without going through a security process and review.

What is Wireless Sniffer?

An attacker can sniff and capture legitimate traffic. Many of the sniffer tools for Ethernet are based on capturing the first part of the connection session, where the data would typically include the username and password. An intruder can masquerade as that user by using this captured information. An intruder who monitors the wireless network can apply this same attack principle on the wireless.

What is the difference between Open System and Shared Key of Authentication Type ?

Open System:

The default authentication service that simply announces the desire to associate with another station or access point. A station can authenticate with any other station or access point using open system authentication if the receiving station designates open system authentication.

Share Key:

The optional authentication that involves a more rigorous exchange of frames, ensuring that the requesting station is authentic. For a station to use shared key authentication, it must implement WEP.

What is 802.1x ?

IEEE 802.1x Port-Based Network Access Control is an IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standard, which specifies a standard mechanism for authenticating, at the link layer (Layer 2),

219

All contents copyright (c) 2007 ZyXEL Communications Corporation.