WEP Broken Even Worse

collin.m writes in with news of results out of Darmstadt. Erik Tews and others there have demonstrated how to recover a 104-bit WEP key in under a minute, requiring the capture of fewer than 10% the number of packets the previous best method called for. The paper is here (PDF). Quoting: "We were able to extend Klein's attack and optimize it for usage against WEP. Using our version, it is possible to recover a 104 bit WEP key with probability 50% using just 40,000 captured packets... for 85,000 data packets [the success probability is] about 95%... 40,000 packets can be captured in less than one minute under good condition. The actual computation takes about 3 seconds and 3 MB main memory on a Pentium-M 1.7 GHz..."

Comments

Back in the courtroom

[Nom du Keyboard]

Your Honor, I was using WEP on my Linksys when the RIAA claimed their agents, Media Sentry, claimed that my IP address was involved in illegal filesharing. I was taking the best precautions my poor little 802.11b router can handle. Allow me to now introduce a paper here explaining how my system can be broken by the average desktop computer in less than a minute.

Case Dismissed!

Re:Can ARC4 be used properly at all?

[qbwiz]

Dragging 300' of cable throughout and around your house to use your laptop anywhere you want: priceless.

No problem for me

[NotFamous]

I use 56-bit WEP and I've never had.... ATTN: YOU HAVE WON THE IRISH LOTTERY PLEASE respons immediately to... ...so I don't see why it is a big deal?

Today on duh news.

[kinglink]

WEP insecure! Coming up at 6PM Bill Gates still really really rich.

Re:Simple, cheap, easy solution

[Anonymous Coward]

just run the cables under rugs like every reasonable person does

btw were you smoking crack when you wrote that post?

Re:Can ARC4 be used properly at all?

[spun]

Thank you! It's not as trivial as the GP makes it sound at all. I had a buddy who drilled through a wall and straight into the mains once. Yeah, that's it, a buddy of mine. Not me. Really, I'd never be that dumb.

Re:Who even still users WEP?

[eclectro]

unless I can convince my dad that there is a real reason to upgrade to better security.

Is your sister cute? Does she have pictures of herself on her computer?

Broken Even Worse?!

[Seumas]

Slashdot editors suck at grammar. Obviously, the words they were looking for was supposed to be more brokener.

Re:Who even still users WEP?

[ZDRuX]

You still live with your parents?!.. Hahaha, you're such a lo.. Wait a minute, so do I!.. fuck.

Re:Simple, cheap, easy solution

[tonywong]

Wireless Total Price: $80
CAT5 Total Price*: $393

Having your network compromised and your identity stolen: Priceless

Re:Can ARC4 be used properly at all?

[bkgood]

I had a buddy who drilled through a wall and straight into the mains once.

I take it the keyword there is had?

Re:Who even still users WEP?

[dotgain]

Congratulations!

You've missed the point several by orders of magnitude more than I have ever seen on /. before! In fact, if the point were to travel at the speed of light it probably won't hit you until we're talking about WPA+PSK being broken in minutes.

Re:Can ARC4 be used properly at all?

[woolio]

I had a buddy who drilled through a wall and straight into the mains once.

Your use of past tense is all the more curious.

Re:Who even still users WEP?

[The One and Only]

People in the ghetto don't have wireless networks, and if they do, they're not smart enough to secure them?

Re:Can ARC4 be used properly at all?

[Tsagadai]

Sadly that is a very good point. After I get married, this fine desktop will probably be going wireless. Luckily when I want to play Warcraft, she'll probably be out, and I can get out my CAT5 cable.

Giggity