WEP Can Be Cracked Without an Access Point
Debunks myth that to crack WEP, the attacker needs to be in the RF vicinity of an authorized network.
Vivek Ramachandran and Md Sohail Ahmad, senior wireless security researchers at AirTight Networks, said they will reveal (at TOORCON9 in San Diego, Ca) that laptops don't need to be logged into a Wi-Fi network for WEP keys to be cracked.Consider this. In the half hour or so that it takes you to drink your coffee in between appointments, you decide to catch up on a little work for the office. You are not even in the RF vicinity of your authorized network so your WEP keys are safe. Or at least that's what you think! Their presentation will debunk the age-old myth that to crack WEP, the attacker needs to be in the RF vicinity of the authorized network, with at least one functional AP up and running. They will demonstrate that it is possible to retrieve the WEP key from an isolated Client -- the Client can be on the Moon! -- using a new technique called "AP-less WEP Cracking." The attack takes "Honeypot" to the next level of sophistication, says the company.
