Computer Security: Principles and

Practice

Chapter 24: Wireless Network

Security
EECS710: Information Security
Professor Hossein Saiedian
Fall 2014
Wireless Security Overview
• Concerns for wireless security are similar
to those found in a wired environment
• Security requirements are the same:
― Confidentiality, integrity, availability, authenticity,
accountability
― Most significant source of risk is the underlying
communications medium

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Wireless Network Modes
• The 802.11 wireless networks operate in two basic
modes:
― Infrastructure mode
― Ad-hoc mode
• Infrastructure mode
― Each wireless client connects directly to a central
device called Access Point (AP)
― No direct connection between wireless clients
― AP acts as a wireless hub that performs the connections
and handles them between wireless clients

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Wireless Network Modes
• Ad-hoc mode:
― Each wireless client connects directly with
each other
― No central device managing the
connections
― Rapid deployment of a temporal network
where no infrastructures exist (advantage
in case of disaster…)
― Each node must maintain its proper
authentication list

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Key Factors Contributing to Risks
• Channel: broadcast communication (more
susceptible to eavesdropping and jamming)
• Mobility: additional risks (later)
• Resources: advanced OS (iPhone, Android),
but limited resources (memory, processing)
• Accessibility: Certain devices may be left
unattended

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Wireless Networking Components
(Facilitating points of attack)

Wireless client: WIFI-enabled laptop/tablet, cell phone, Bluetooth device, …

Access point: Cell towers, WIFI hotspots, wireless routers
Transmission medium: carries signals

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 Wireless Network Threats
No central
Accidental Malicious Ad hoc point
association association networks of control

Identity theft Man-in-the

Nontraditional
(MAC middle
networks
spoofing) attacks
Bluetooth,
PDAs (spoofing
Bogus reconfiguration
and eavesdropping) Denial of Network cmds to routers/switches
service (DoS) injection and degrade performance

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Wireless Security Measures
• Signal hiding
― Turn off SSID name broadcasting

― Cryptic names

― Reduce signal strengths (place away from

windows and external walls
― Directional antennas

• Encryption (standard)

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Securing Wireless Networks
• Use encryption
• Use and enable anti-virus, anti-spyware,
firewall
• Turn off SSID broadcasting
• Change default identifier on router
• Change router’s preset password
• Apply MAC-filtering

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SSID – Service Set Identification
• Identifies a particular wireless network
• A client must set the same SSID as the one in that
particular AP Point to join the network
• Without SSID, the client won’t be able to select and
join a wireless network
• Hiding SSID is not a security measure because the
wireless network in this case is not invisible
• It can be defeated by intruders by sniffing it from any
probe signal containing it.

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SSID
• A way for vendors to make more money
• It is easy to find the ID for a “hidden” network
because the beacon broadcasting cannot be turned
off
• Simply use a utility to show all the current networks:

― inSSIDer
― NetStumbler
― Kismet

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Mobile Device Security Challenges
• No more tight control over computing devices
• Growing use of mobile (endpoint) devices
• Cloud-based applications readily available (Box,
Dropbox, Skype, …)
• De-perimeterization: static network perimeter is
gone
• External business requirements (guests, third-
party contractors, …)
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
• The above results in threats (next page)

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Mobile Device Security Threats
• Lack of physical security control
• Use of untrusted mobile devices
• Use of untrusted networks
• Use of apps created by unknown parties
• Interaction with other systems (e.g.,
cloud-based data sync)
• Use of untrusted contents

13
Mobile Device Security Strategy
• Device security (next slide)
• Traffic security (e.g., SSL, VPNs)
• Barrier security (e.g., firewalls, IDS/IPS)

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Mobile Device Security
• Configure (enable) auto-lock
• Configure/enable SSL
• Enable password/PIN protection
• Configure (disable/discourage) auto-completion (for
passwords)
• Enable remove wipe
• Up-to-date OS/software
• Install anti-virus software
• Encrypt sensitive data on mobile devices
• Prohibit installation of third-party apps
• Policy development followed by training

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Mobile Device Security Elements

Configure based
on policy
Encrypt

Authenticate/
access control

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IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN
• IEEE 802: a committee responsible for
LANs
• IEEE 802.11: responsible for developing
wireless protocols
― Many standards
• The Wi-Fi alliance: became popular with
802.11b
― Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA, WPA2)

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IEEE 802.11 Protocol Stack
• Physical layer
(encode/decode
signals)
• MAC layer:
assembles MAC
frame, disassembles
frames and performs
address recognition
• LLC: keeps track of
frame transmission

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A MAC Frame (MPUD)
• MAC protocol data unit (MPUD)

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IEEE 802.11 Extended Service Set
• BSS: the
smallest
building block
• BSSs connected
via APs
― Aps functions as
bridges
• ESS: two or
more BSSs

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IEEE 802.11# Wireless Security
• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
• WPA2
• Robust Security network (RSN)

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WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy

• The original native security mechanism for WLAN

• provide security through a 802.11 network
• Used to protect wireless communication from
eavesdropping (confidentiality)
• Prevent unauthorized access to a wireless network
(access control)
• Prevent tampering with transmitted messages
• Provide users with the equivalent level of privacy
inbuilt in wireless networks.

Wireless Network Security

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How WEP works

IV original unencrypted packet checksum

RC4
key

IV encrypted packet

Wireless Network Security

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WEP Flaws and Vulnerabilities
 Weak keys:
 It allows an attacker to discover the default key being
used by the Access Point and client stations
 This enables an attacker to decrypt all messages
being sent over the encrypted channel.
 IV (initialization vector) reuse and small size:
 There are 224 different IVs
 On a busy network, the IV will surely be reused, if the
default key has not been changed and the original
message can be retrieved relatively easily.

Wireless Network Security

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 Attacks on WEP
• WEP encrypted networks can be cracked in 10
minutes
• Goal is to collect enough IVs to be able to crack
the key
• IV = Initialization Vector, plaintext appended to
the key to avoid Repetition
• Injecting packets generates IVs

Wireless Network Security

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Attacks on WEP
• Backtrack 5 (Released 1st March
2012)
• Tutorial is available
• All required tools on a Linux
bootable CD + laptop + wireless
card

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WEP Cracking Example

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WPA - WI-FI Protected Access
• New technique in 2002
• Replacement of security flaws of WEP
• Improved data encryption
• Strong user authentication
• Because of many attacks related to static key,
WPA minimize shared secret key in
accordance with the frame transmission
• Use the RC4 algorithm in a proper way and
provide fast transfer of the data before
someone can decrypt the data.

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WPA2 - WI-FI Protected Access 2
 Based on the IEEE 802.i standard
 2 versions: Personal & Enterprise
 The primary enhancement over WPA is the use of the
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) algorithm
 The encryption in WPA2 is done by utilizing either AES or
TKIP
 The Personal mode uses a PSK (Pre-shared key) & does
not require a separate authentication of users
 The enterprise mode requires the users to be separately
authenticated by using the EAP protocol

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WPA2
 WPA2 has immunity against many types of
hacker attacks
 Man-in-the middle
 Authentication forging
 Replay
 Key collision
 Weak keys
 Packet forging
 Dictionary attacks

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WEP vs WPA vs WPA2
WEP WPA WPA2

ENCRYPTION RC4 RC4 AES

KEY ROTATION NONE Dynamic Dynamic
Session Keys Session Keys
KEY DISTRIBUTION Manually typed Automatic Automatic
into each device distribution distribution
available available
AUTHENTICATION Uses WEP key as Can use 802.1x Can use 802.1x
Authentication & EAP & EAP

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Procedures to Improve Wireless Security
 Use wireless intrusion prevention system (WIPS)
 Enable WPA-PSK
 Use a good passphrase
(https://grc.com/password)
 Use WPA2 where possible
 AES is more secure, use TKIP for better
performance
 Change your SSID every so often
 Wireless network users should use or upgrade
their network to the latest security standard
released

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 Wireless Network Tools
 MAC Spoofing
 http://aspoof.sourceforge.net/
 http://www.gorlani.com/publicprj/macmakeup/macmakeup.asp
 http://www.klcconsulting.net/smac/

 WEP Cracking tools

 http://www.backtrack-linux.org/
 http://www.remote-exploit.org/articles/backtrack/index.html
 http://wepattack.sourceforge.net/
 http://wepcrack.sourceforge.net/
 Wireless Analysers
 http://www.kismetwireless.net/
 http://www.netstumbler.com/

Wireless Network Security

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Securing Wireless Transmission
• Signal hiding (and SSID hiding)
― Reduce signal strengths

• Encryption: encrypt all wireless

transmissions

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Securing Access Point
• Disallow unauthorized access to the AP
• Require authentication for any access
including for devices wishing to attach
themselves to the AP

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Securing Wireless Networks

allow only specific

use encryption computers to
access your
wireless network

use anti-virus and change your

anti-spyware router’s pre-set
software and a password for
firewall administration

change the
turn off identifier identifier on your
broadcasting router from the
default

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IEEE 802.11 Terminology

37
Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Alliance
• 802.11b
― first 802.11 standard to gain broad industry acceptance
• Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (WECA)
― industry consortium formed in 1999 to address the concern of
products from different vendors successfully interoperating
― later renamed the Wi-Fi Alliance

• term used for certified 802.11b products is Wi-Fi

― has been extended to 802.11g products
• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
― Wi-Fi Alliance certification procedures for IEEE802.11 security
standards
― WPA2 incorporates all of the features of the IEEE802.11i WLAN
security specification

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IEEE 802 Protocol Architecture

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General IEEE 802 MPDU Format

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IEEE 802.11 Architecture: Extended
Service Set

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IEEE 802.11 Services
Service provider
may be a station
or DS; station
services are
implemented
in every 802.11
station

MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU)

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Association Services

• establishes an initial
association association between a station
and an AP

• enables an established association to

reassociation be transferred from one AP to
another, allowing a mobile station to
move from one BSS to another

• a notification from either a station or

disassociation an AP that an existing association is
terminated

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Association-Related Services
• Transition types, based on mobility:
― No transition
• A station of this type is either stationary or moves only within the
direct communication range of the communicating stations of a
single BSS
― BSS transition
• Station movement from one BSS to another BSS within the same
ESS; delivery of data to the station requires that the addressing
capability be able to recognize the new location of the station
― ESS transition
• Station movement from a BSS in one ESS to a BSS within another
ESS; maintenance of upper-layer connections supported by 802.11
cannot be guaranteed

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Wireless LAN Security Protocols

• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) algorithm

― 802.11 privacy

• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

― Set of security mechanisms that eliminates
most 802.11 security issues and was based on
the current state of the 802.11i standard
• Robust Security Network (RSN)
― Final form of the 802.11i standard

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IEEE 802.11i Services
• Authentication: the exchange between a
user and an authentication server (AS);
temporary keys are generated
• Access control: routes messages
properly, facilitates key exchange
• Privacy: MAC level data are encrypted
• Security protocols that support the above
services: next page

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Elements of IEEE 802.11i

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Phases of Operations: Possibilities
• Two wireless STAs in the same BSS
communicate via an AP
• Two wireless STAs in the same ad hoc BSS
communicating directly
• Two wireless STAs in different BSS
communicating via their Aps
• A wireless less STA communicating with
wired station via its AP

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IEEE 802.11i Phases of
Operation
• Discovery: AP sends Beacon,
Probe responses to advertise its
802.11 security policy
• Authentication: STA and AS
prove their identities
• Key MGMT: cryptographic key
are generated and saved in STA
and SA
• Protected data transfer
• Connection termination

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IEEE 802.11i
Phases of
Operation

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IEEE 802.1x Access Control (for Controlling
Access)
Two physical ports;
many logical ports
mapped to the physical
ports

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MPDU Exchange
• authentication phase consists of three phases:
― connect to AS
• the STA sends a request to its AP that it has an association with for
connection to the AS; the AP acknowledges this request and sends an access
request to the AS
― EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol ) exchange
• authenticates the STA and AS to each other

― secure key delivery

• once authentication is established, the AS generates a master session key and
sends it to the STA

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IEEE 802.11i
Keys for Data
Confidentiality
and Integrity
Protocols

EAP: Extensible Auth. Protocol

EAP over LAN: supports integrity

and origin authentication

EAP Key Encryption Key: protects

confidentiality

Temporal Key (TK): protects

transmission

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IEEE 802.11i
Key Hierarchy
(Key MGMT)

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Phases of
Operation:
4-way
Handshake

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Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP)
• Designed to require only software changes to devices
that are implemented WEP
• Provides two services:

message data
integrity confidentiality

adds a message provided by

integrity code to encrypting the
the 802.11 MAC MPDU
frame after the
data field

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Summary
• Wireless security overview
― wireless network threats
― wireless security measure
― IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN overview
― Wi-Fi alliance
― IEEE 802 protocol architecture
― IEEE 802.11 network components and architectural
model
― IEEE 802.11 services

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