New cloud-based service steals Wi-Fi passwords
By Robert McMillan
December 7, 2009 05:02 PM ET
IDG News Service -
For $34, a new cloud-based hacking service can crack a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network password in just 20 minutes, its creator says.
Launched today, the WPA Cracker service bills itself as a useful tool for security auditors and penetration testers who want to know if they could break into certain types of WPA networks. It works because of a known vulnerability in Pre-shared Key (PSK) networks, which are used by some home and small-business users.
To use the service, the tester submits a small "handshake" file that contains an initial back-and-forth communication between the WPA router and a PC. Based on that information, WPA Cracker can tell whether the network seems vulnerable to this type of attack.
The service was launched by a well-known security researcher who goes by the name of Moxie Marlinspike. In an interview, he said that he got the idea for WPA Cracker after talking to other security experts about how to speed up WPA network auditing. "It's kind of a drag if it takes five days or two weeks to get your results," he said.
Hackers have known for some time that these WPA-PSK networks are vulnerable to what's called a dictionary attack, where the hacker guesses the password by trying out thousands of commonly used passwords until one finally works. But because of the way WPA is designed, it takes a particularly long time to pull off a dictionary attack against a WPA network.
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http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=6469
(Quelle, aus Mobile Browser, daher für PC ungeignet)
By Robert McMillan
December 7, 2009 05:02 PM ET
IDG News Service -
For $34, a new cloud-based hacking service can crack a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) network password in just 20 minutes, its creator says.
Launched today, the WPA Cracker service bills itself as a useful tool for security auditors and penetration testers who want to know if they could break into certain types of WPA networks. It works because of a known vulnerability in Pre-shared Key (PSK) networks, which are used by some home and small-business users.
To use the service, the tester submits a small "handshake" file that contains an initial back-and-forth communication between the WPA router and a PC. Based on that information, WPA Cracker can tell whether the network seems vulnerable to this type of attack.
The service was launched by a well-known security researcher who goes by the name of Moxie Marlinspike. In an interview, he said that he got the idea for WPA Cracker after talking to other security experts about how to speed up WPA network auditing. "It's kind of a drag if it takes five days or two weeks to get your results," he said.
Hackers have known for some time that these WPA-PSK networks are vulnerable to what's called a dictionary attack, where the hacker guesses the password by trying out thousands of commonly used passwords until one finally works. But because of the way WPA is designed, it takes a particularly long time to pull off a dictionary attack against a WPA network.
.…
http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=6469
(Quelle, aus Mobile Browser, daher für PC ungeignet)
