LINUX SECURITY --- July 17, 2001 Published by ITworld.com -- changing the way you view IT http://www.itworld.com/newsletters __________________________________________________________________________ ______ HIGHLIGHTS * IBM's prototype application aims at protecting 802.11 wireless networks from wireless hackers, but the solution may only be adding to their arsenal. __________________________________________________________________________ ______ Wireless Auditing with a Linux PDA By Rick Johnson The research group of IBM Corp. has developed an auditing tool that can monitor 802.11 wireless networks and collect security-related information, allowing system administrators to take proper actions to improve network security (http://www.research.ibm.com/gsal/wsa). The Wireless Security Auditor, a prototype application running on Linux, enables network administrators to find vulnerable access points by monitoring and analyzing them in real-time and ensuring they are either corrected or removed so they no longer pose a security threat to the company network. The Wireless Security Auditor prototype presents detailed information for all access points on an 802.11 wireless network, including station and network name, address, location, and security state. The software, which in prototype has been installed on a Compaq IPAQ PDA with an 802.11 card, has a color-coded user interface, indicates properly configured access points shown in green and vulnerable ones shown in red. Detailed information is also available for all access points, including station and network name, address, location, and security state. This tool will allow security consultants to find what access points exist and examine their configuration so that they can take proper steps to keep the wireless network secure. The project is at the stage where IBM can show it to security managers for beta testing, but the company has no definitive plans for pricing or availability. Existing security for 802.11 wireless consists of two subsystems: a data encryption technique called Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and an authentication algorithm called Shared Key Authentication. WEP and Shared Key are optional, and wireless access points are typically shipped with both turned off. The WEP protocol came under attack by researchers in February, who claimed WEP was vulnerable to hackers using off-the-shelf equipment. Specifically, wireless systems that rely on a 64-bit key, such as those used in many homes and earlier hardware, can be broken in less than a minute. Thus letting the attacker see the data beamed across the networks. Newer 128- bit wireless cards are fairly strong, but still vulnerable. I won't go into detail about compromising WEP for obvious reasons. IBM's intent is to help security personnel prevent "drive-by hacking," the rising threat posed by hackers equipped with a wireless-capable computer wandering around businesses, looking for vulnerable wireless network access points. However, an unobtrusive PDA designed to spot weak points in network security also sounds like a new tool for hackers looking to exploit a breach rather than fix one. Naturally, IBM feels that this device would not be used for malicious activity. Of course not, and if you gave me a pair of X-Ray glasses, I promise to never sneak a peek at someone else. About the author(s) ------------------- Rick Johnson is the CTO and Head of Development for IPDex Technologies (http://www.ipdex.com). During his off hours, Rick is a consultant, writer, and developer for various open source projects. Rick may be contacted via email at rick@pointman.org or on the Web at http://www.pointman.org. __________________________________________________________________________ ______ ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 802.11 Wireless Security http://www.securityportal.com/closet/closet20010207.html Wireless Communications Technologies: An Analysis Of Security Issues http://www.sans.org/infosecFAQ/wireless/sec_issues.htm Wireless Security: Guess Who's Listening http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/22/0522wireless.html __________________________________________________________________________ ______
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