802.11 WiFi Denial of Service Exploit Discovered

CRC'99 writes "The Queensland University of Technology has today announced yet another flaw in 802.11 products. AusCERT has the official statement, noting: 'An attacker using a low-powered, portable device such as an electronic PDA and a commonly available wireless networking card may cause significant disruption to all WLAN traffic within range, in a manner that makes identification and localisation of the attacker difficult.' Nice to know that a simple PDA could bring a WiFi network to its knees."

Comments

I found a major flaw too

[rokzy]

using something as small, cheap and common as a hammer I may cause significant disruption to *all* computer activity within walking distance.

Re:I found a major flaw too

[rokzy]

I walk up to someone with a network connected PC/laptop and say "I'll give you this shiny new hammer if you let me check my email".

I then use outlook to open a attatchment from an unknown source.

Re:jammers?

[WegianWarrior]

A jammer - in the spesific sence of a white-noise transmitter - wouldn't give a 'denial of service' style attack. It would drown out the other transmitters, thus fooling your device into thinking that there is no network avilable. Perhaps we should call it a Lack of Carrier Attack? Splitting hairs, I know ;).

That, and using a PDA and a network card is a much geekier - and thus more intersting - way of doing it. Jammers are soooo 80's.