WiFi Security Hacked

A vulnerability was found in the WPA2 security protocol, this weakness will have a large impact on every WiFi connected device on the planet. The fact that the widely regarded uncrackable security protocol has been hacked will have consequences.

Researchers have discovered a flaw in the security protocol WPA2 that is used by every modern day wireless device like PC's, laptops and smartphones.
By exploiting the weakness it is possible to eavesdrop or hijack wireless connections.

There is no known countermeasure or fix for the exploit that has been named "KRACK" (Key Reinstallation Attack). What happens is that an attacker can redirect (hijack) traffic to a Rogue Access Point and and take control over the wireless traffic.

A rogue Access Point is an WiFi device that shows up in you WiFi network but actually isn't part of your network. In this case the attacker has planted a device near your location that seems part of your WiFi but is actually controlled by him.

WPA2, the security protocol is used by every modern day device that connects to a WiFi network, that means that your PC, Laptop, smartphone, smart TV, you name it... is affected. Before this hack all your WiFi connections were secure but now there is a theoretical possibility that someone could be listening in...

At the moment it is primarily companies that are raising the alarm and who are concerned about the security of their wireless networks. However the thing is that the major problem is not with the network but with the clients, that means your device, yes I am talking about your mobile, your laptop, your PC.

Networking giants like Cisco will probably have the patches for their devices available soon but that is only a small part of the problem. Microsoft, Google and Apple will have to fix their operating systems as soon as possible. If this issue is not fixed fast, we will be vulnerable to tools that fully exploit the weakness.

It is important to take notice of "Krack" because it affects both Businesses and consumers. It is also not a hack that can be solved by patches on a network or network devices alone but has to be fixed on the devices we use to connect to the wireless network.

The hack has been simulated in a research environment and as far as we know has not been used in real-world situations. But this might change as hackers are undoubtedly researching the possibilities as we speak. At the moment we are waiting for Microsoft, Google and Apple to release their fixes. Until that moment there is not much you can do to protect yourself so it might be a good idea to either avoid WiFi connections (use a wired connection) or avoid sending sensitive information over your WiFi network.

At the moment none of our wireless connections are really safe, although there is a small chance of someone actually taking advantage of the exploit , it pays to be cautious until the fixes and patches are released

Just in!: Microsoft has released updates that fix the issues for Windows clients. More info about the patch here.

Read more about: KRACK | The exploit |

Be sure to also check out Cryptocurrency Mining For Dummies - lesson 1 and 2 by @gregory-f.