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Security Vulnerability in Apple's AirPort Base Station

Posted by pudge on from the newsflash-wireless-is-insecure dept.

inditek writes "At Stake has issued a security warning today about a vulnerability in Apple's AirPort Base Station: 'Apple's AirPort device is a wireless access point, providing 802.11 services to network clients. Authentication credentials are obfuscated, and then sent over the network. If an AirPort is administered over the Ethernet interface or via an insecure (non WEP) wireless connection, an attacker that can sniff the network can obtain administrative access to the AirPort.'"

4 of 60 comments (clear)

  1. duh by trouser · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think what they're saying is that the Airport base station, which is an 802.11 base station, has exactly the same security vulnerability as an 802.11 base station.

    This is very old news.

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    Now wash your hands.
  2. Strange by bobibleyboo · · Score: 5, Informative

    I wonder what promped them to release this. It is obvious that you could "sniff" the password for the airport since it uses clear text for the password. If this considered a security hole then linksys, dlink, belkin, cisco, 3com, asante, maxgate, netgear, samsung, unex and virtually every one else who makes wireless ap's has the same problem.

  3. Er.. since when has WEP been "secure"? by skinfitz · · Score: 5, Informative

    From the article: Authentication credentials are obfuscated, and then sent over the network. If an AirPort is administered over the Ethernet interface or via an insecure (non WEP) wireless connection, an attacker that can sniff the network can obtain administrative access to the AirPort.
    ...
    If an AirPort is administered over the Ethernet interface or via an insecure (non WEP) wireless connection, an anonymous attacker that can sniff the network can obtain administrative access to the AirPort. If WEP is enabled, then the attack is limited to WEP authenticated attackers.

    It is well known that WEP can quickly and easily be broken, so really what this is saying is that all Airport base stations that are administered are vulnerable, regardless of whether WEP is used or not

    Workaround: Only admin the Airport from a Mac connected directly to the cabled ethernet interface using a crossover cable until this issue is patched.

  4. Re:Er.. since when has WEP been "secure"? by Stigmata669 · · Score: 4, Insightful
    There is a common misconception that WEP is "quickly and easily broken" because there are several open source projects that work on a weakness in the RC-4 key scheduling.

    What many people don't realize is that these programs require the harvest of between 2000 and 10000 'weak' packets which can take as little as 20 hours and as long as a week of constant monitoring to collect. If you don't believe me, go read the FAQ of any WEP cracking program. These programs are only proof of concept models, and lack a practical implementation. I tried KisMAC against my own ap and failed to produce any results.

    WEP is perfectly secure for a standard network, and anyone who is willing to spend 100 hours standing in my driveway just for access to a network on which everything else is passworded is simply insane.

    Anyone who acts like WEP is worthless is simply misinformed.

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    Yawn.