Scientists Demonstrate Virus That Spreads Across Wi-Fi Access Points

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at the University of Liverpool have shown for the first time that WiFi networks can be infected with a virus that can move through densely populated areas as efficiently as the common cold spreads between humans. The team designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called 'Chameleon,' that not only could spread quickly between homes and businesses, but avoided detection and identified the points at which WiFi access is least protected by encryption and passwords. The research appears in EURASIP Journal on Information Security." The technical details are explained in the journal article.

Comments

Keyword; simulated

[complete loony]

Sure it's easy to model the spread of a virus. It's another thing entirely to write one that can run on every commodity access point, with sufficient CPU power to crack all nearby passwords / keys.

Re:Keyword; simulated

[Zero__Kelvin]

"You're using your own personal definition of virus unlike the rest of the world."

Oh, the irony. You just randomly made up your own definitions after accusing the (much more correct) OP of the same.

"A worm generally causes no damage and just likes to spread."

There is no stipulation regarding payload or lack therof for a worm. What makes it a worm rather than a virus is that it is an independant, stand alone program or file that doesn't attach itself to a host program or other file.

" Virii generally cause damage and spread."

Again, no payload stipulation is appropriate. What makes it a virus is that it attaches to a host program or other file and spreads by attaching to other host programs or files.

"Still a worm though, because that overload was a bug, not a feature."

Again, no. The RTM Worm was a worm because it did not attach to other programs; it was an independant program. Payload has absolutely nothing to do with it. The trouble it caused could have been quite intentional and that wouldn't change a thing. It was a worm regardless of the payload or lack therof.

Re:It hides from detection?

[AHuxley]

Would your average well coded antivirus behavioural detection software care a lot if your wifi rebooted a few times?
No new data into the 'protected' OS, no OS changes, packets flowing in, out, network seems the same ...