Sunday, March 27, 2005
Meet WiFi's "Evil Twin"
Scenario #1
A hacker installs a fake access point near the real WiFi network. The hacker then sends a stronger RF signal basically disrupting the signal of the real access point. Users lose their connections to the legitimate AP and re-connect to the "evil twin", allowing the hacker to intercept all the traffic to that device.
Scenario #2
A hacker could easily setup a fake login page that mimics the one from the local coffee shop. (Ofcourse, the hacker has to be in vicinity of the coffee shop. Even probably sitting inside the shop enjoying coffee). New users wanting to connect to the coffee shop WiFi would accidently connect to the fake Wifi and give out their credit card details or their login and password.
These things are difficult (not impossible) to pull off in the wired world, because it requires physical access to the network.
When you connect to a WiFi access point (might be your corporate network, a public access point in a coffee shop or even your home network), how do you know it is really the one that you wanted to connect to in the first place? Thats one big hole in the WiFi technology.
A hacker installs a fake access point near the real WiFi network. The hacker then sends a stronger RF signal basically disrupting the signal of the real access point. Users lose their connections to the legitimate AP and re-connect to the "evil twin", allowing the hacker to intercept all the traffic to that device.
Scenario #2
A hacker could easily setup a fake login page that mimics the one from the local coffee shop. (Ofcourse, the hacker has to be in vicinity of the coffee shop. Even probably sitting inside the shop enjoying coffee). New users wanting to connect to the coffee shop WiFi would accidently connect to the fake Wifi and give out their credit card details or their login and password.
These things are difficult (not impossible) to pull off in the wired world, because it requires physical access to the network.
When you connect to a WiFi access point (might be your corporate network, a public access point in a coffee shop or even your home network), how do you know it is really the one that you wanted to connect to in the first place? Thats one big hole in the WiFi technology.
Copyright Anand Jain 2004, 2005. All rights
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